Korea is home to roughly 100,000 cafes. How did the coffee industry thrive to this extent in a country that is not historically known for coffee? Looking at Mega MGC Coffee — the chain with the largest number of branches in Korea — two key factors emerge. On average, a Korean consumes nearly 400 cups of coffee per year, which is almost three times the global average. For Koreans, coffee is less of a leisurely break and more of a functional “potion” used to endure demanding workloads. Because of this, cafes in Korea generally adopt one of two distinct strategies: they either position themselves as high-end establishments, or they brand themselves as low-cost options to maximize profit through high sales volume rather than high margins per drink. Mega MGC Coffee falls into the latter category. By pricing an iced Americano at around 2,000 won($1.5) for a 710ml cup, the company focuses on becoming part of the daily routine for consumers rather than making a large profit from each sale. Furthermore, service is remarkably fast. Once an order for an Americano is placed, it typically takes
