Shinsegae Gangnam opens ‘House of Shinsegae’ F&B space

[Courtesy of Shinsegae Department Store]

Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam is transforming the space once occupied by the Shinsegae Duty-Free Shop into a luxurious food and beverage (F&B) area called ‘House of Shinsegae.’ This new gourmet space aims to offer customers a high-end hotel experience within the department store.

In a strategic move to surpass the impressive 3 trillion won ($2.18 billion) it racked up in sales in 2023, Shinsegae is enhancing its F&B section to attract more visitors. The company announced on Sunday that ‘House of Shinsegae,’ a unique blend of department store and hotel characteristics, will open the day after. The new space, located between Shinsegae Department Store’s Gangnam branch and JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, spans three floors covering 7,273 square meters and features a food hall and luxury shops alongside fashion and beauty boutiques.

This expansion increases the Gangnam store’s operating space from 86,600 square meters to 93,900 square meters, making it the largest in Seoul and surpassing The Hyundai Seoul’s 89,100 square meters.

The grand opening will begin with the gourmet area, which extends from the basement to the first floor. The food hall includes 12 restaurants, all of which are premier dining brands making their debut in the Korean retail market. Notable entries include the second branch of the famous Gangnam sushi restaurant ‘Kim Susa’ after 38 years and the first Korean branch of ‘Kikukawa,’ a Tokyo-based eel rice bowl specialist with a four-generation history. Other highlights include ‘Yoon Haeundae Galbi,’ a restaurant launched in New York by the grandson of a renowned Haeundae beef ribs house, ‘Jaju Hansang,’ a Shinsegae direct operation, and ‘Miga Hotpot,’ which will open in July 2024.

Unlike typical food halls with communal tables, ‘House of Shinsegae’ offers counter tables in front of cooking stations and private dining rooms to enhance the dining experience. The operating hours have also been extended to 10 p.m., two hours later than the department store’s regular closing time on weekdays.

On the first floor, the fine wine specialty store ‘Wine Cellar’ will occupy 1,300 square meters, featuring over 5,000 bottles of wine and whiskey categorized by origin and type. Half of the collection consists of premium wines, including rare and aged vintages curated for VIP customers, the department store said.