Caffè Bene is a coffeehouse chain based in Seoul, South Korea. It was founded in May 2008 by Sun-Kwon Kim. Caffè Bene is the largest coffeehouse chain in South Korea by number of stores. As of April 24, 2012, Caffè Bene has 760 outlets in South Korea. Caffè Bene made its international debut in New York City in February 2012 and opened the second international store in Beijing, China one month later. Caffè Bene now has 3 outlets in China and has signed with 7 countries to open further stores. As of the end of 2013, Caffe Bene's debt ratio was 665 percent and its operating profit ratio was 2 percent. As of April 4, 2014, Caffè Bene is operating 945 stores in Korea, 86 in the United States, 283 in China, 1 store in Canada, 5 in Philippines, 5 in Indonesia, 21 in Saudi Arabia, 25 in Mongolia, 2 in Malaysia, and one each in Brunei, Cambodia, Singapore, Japan and Vietnam. The number of stores continues to grow. In November 2014, Caffè Bene announced plans to open its first drive-through coffeehouse in Little Falls, New Jersey. It opened in December 2014.
History
Sun-Kwon Kim, chairman and CEO of Caffè Bene, traveled to Canada and saw that the localcoffee shops were very popular. He had confidence that he could create a brand that could compete with the cafes he saw. Caffè Bene is designed after European open-air cafes. The word "Bene" in the brand name comes from the Italian word for "good." This brand combines the European open-air atmosphere and traditional Korean culture of "Sarangbang".
New York City
Caffè Bene launched its first international store in New York City, on February 1, 2012. Located on 44th Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan's Theater District, near Times Square, it is, one of the biggest coffee shops in the area. Caffè Bene "specializes in coffee drinks and Belgian waffles, including savory varieties with bacon and Parmesan in the dough". The location's interior design was inspired by several city landmarks, including the Brooklyn Bridge and the New York City Subway. According to Caffè Bene, the company used recycled materials for its design.
Los Angeles
Caffè Bene branch opened in Los Angeles in the summer of 2012 on the ground floor of CGV mall with other famous South Korean cafe competitors such as Paris Baguette and Tom N Toms. It has a multimedia projector with K-pop music in addition to wooden tables and cement floors. In 2013, another Bene launched on Wilshire Boulevard and Berendo Street. Critics and visitors have claimed that the new Bene carries a cozier feel in addition to its high ceilings, similar with the previous Bene except revamped with improved design, structure, and atmosphere.
Products
Like other coffee chains, Caffè Bene sells brewed coffee, espresso drinks, hot and cold beverages, pastries, sandwiches, waffles, gelato, and features a rotating seasonal menu with accompanying seasonal fare. In addition, Caffè Bene features misugaru, a traditional Korean drink, which "consists of black sesame seeds, black bean, black and brown rice and barley".
Caffè Bene branch opened in Boston in 2014. It lies on Huntington Avenue and St Botolph St and competes with shops in an area surrounding Northeastern University.
Other locations
The first store in Cambodia and Taiwan opened in November 2013.
The first store in Japan and Mongolia opened in December 2013.
The first store in Indonesia opened in 2013
The first store in Malaysia opened in March 2014.
The first store in Vietnam opened in August 2014.
The first store in Singapore opened in November 2015.
The first store in Philippines opened in October 2012.
the first store in Saudi Arabia
Controversy
In 2011 there was a controversy that Caffe Bene's products tasted bitter. Kang Hoon, former head of Caffe Bene's headquarters, said, "With more than 500 stores, we don't have good control over raw materials, roasting technology and how to extract coffee from the store staff, and so the coffee taste of Caffe Bene goes down." Many say that the bitter taste is strong."
