Lotte Department Store opens Bacha Coffee’s first Korean store

[Courtesy of Lotte Department Store]

South Korea’s Lotte Department Store opened Moroccan premium coffee brand Bacha Coffee’s first South Korean store in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, on Thursday.

Lotte Department Store has set up the first floor of the store, which is decorated with a Moroccan palace-style interior painted in orange and gold, as a coffee boutique, selling over 200 types of coffee beans, drip bags, and coffee accessories from 35 production regions. The second floor features a coffee room, a space where customers can purchase and enjoy coffee. The store also sells desserts such as croissants and main dishes made on-site.

Lotte secured the exclusive franchise and distribution rights for Bacha Coffee in September 2023. It launched a dedicated brand section on its online mall In April 2024 and has now opened an offline store to properly showcase the brand’s character and image.

The prices are relatively high, living up to its nickname “coffee’s Hermes.” A single cup of coffee costs well over 10,000 won ($7.31), with some offerings priced as high as 480,000 won for a 350-milliliter pot. Since 350 ml yields about three cups of Bacha Coffee, this equates to about 160,000 won per cup. The coffee price is determined by the value set at the production site, with beans becoming more expensive as supply becomes more difficult.

“We plan to open a second Bacha Coffee store at our Myeongdong main branch by the end of 2024 and a third store at the Jamsil branch around the beginning of 2025,” a Lotte Department Store official said.