Specialty Coffee Boom Puts Seoul Coffee Scene on the Global Map
ACR (Alegria Coffee Roasters) is a Seoul, South Korea-based specialty coffee brand founded in 2011. The company operates five directly run stores in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun and Pangyo Techno Valley areas, roasts under HACCP food-safety certification, and sources beans it says rank in the top 10 percent of available quality through annual origin visits. ACR opened its first overseas location in Kuwait in 2025 and has been selected to join the Roaster Village program at World of Coffee Tokyo 2027. More information: www.acrkorea.com / Instagram @acr_korea . A decade of quality-driven growth has turned Seoul into one of the world’s most closely watched coffee cities — and local roasters like ACR are starting to take that reputation abroad.
SEOUL, South Korea, 22nd Oct 2026 – Over the past decade, Seoul’s coffee scene has quietly built an international reputation. Specialty roasteries once known mainly to local enthusiasts are increasingly cited by coffee professionals and travelers abroad as some of the most interesting in the world, as Korean brands push beyond single-origin sourcing and competition-level cupping scores into export and overseas retail.
ACR’s store interior in Seoul.
Among them is ACR (Alegria Coffee Roasters), a Seoul-based specialty coffee brand that has operated since 2011. The company sources what it describes as beans in the top 10 percent of available quality, with staff holding Q-grader certification — the industry’s standard credential for professional coffee tasters — who have served as judges at international coffee auctions including the Ecuador Farmers Collection and Best of Yemen. ACR said its team travels to origin countries each year to select beans directly from producers, and its roasting operation holds HACCP food-safety certification.
Quality control at ACR’s roasting facility.
ACR runs five directly operated stores in Seoul — two in the Gwanghwamun area and three in the Pangyo Techno Valley district — staffed entirely by full-time, professionally trained baristas. The company said its stores served roughly 300,000 cups of coffee in the first half of 2026 alone, reflecting the broader growth of Seoul’s specialty coffee market. Industry watchers frequently mention ACR in the same breath as other well-known Seoul-based specialty roasters such as Momos Coffee, Coffee Libre, Fritz Coffee and Bean Brothers.
Customers inside one of ACR’s Seoul stores.
ACR’s growth has extended beyond Korea. According to local media reports, the company opened its first store in Kuwait in March 2025 under a master franchise agreement with a Middle Eastern holding company that also operates the burger brand Thinnies, alongside construction, interior and marketing businesses. ACR has said it aims to grow to more than 20 locations across the Middle East and North Africa over the next five years, becoming, by its own account, the first Korean specialty coffee brand to enter the region.
ACR’s Kuwait store exterior.
The company has also been selected to take part in the Roaster Village program at World of Coffee Tokyo, scheduled for April 28-May 1, 2027, at Tokyo Big Sight, where it plans to present its coffee to an international trade audience as one of a small number of roasteries representing Korea.
“Seoul’s specialty coffee scene has changed enormously over the past ten years, and we’re starting to see that recognition translate into opportunities overseas,” said Giyong Yoo, CEO of ACR. “Kuwait was our first step outside Korea, and we’re hearing growing interest from partners in other markets who want to bring ACR to their own countries.”
ACR said it plans to continue expanding its presence at international trade events and through overseas retail partnerships in the coming year, alongside its five Seoul stores and online sales through its direct-to-consumer channels.
Media Contact
Organization: ACR (Alegria Coffee Roasters)
Contact Person: Giyong Yoo, CEO
Website: https://www.acrkorea.com/
Email: Send Email
Country: Korea South
Release id: 50097
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Specialty Coffee Boom Puts Seoul Coffee Scene on the Global Map
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