South Korean cafe chain Twosome Place opened its first US store in Alexandria, Virginia, on Saturday, marking its entry into the American market with a menu of Korean-inspired desserts and drinks.
Customers waited outside before the 7 a.m. opening, with lines continuing until the store closed at 8 p.m., according to the company.
Located on King Street in Old Town Alexandria, a historic shopping and dining district near the nation's capital, the 241-square-meter cafe seats 78, including the outdoor terrace.
The menu offers more than 80 items, led by signature desserts such as the strawberry chocolate fresh cream cake and ice box, alongside Korean-inspired cakes featuring black sesame and injeolmi, a rice cake coated in roasted soybean powder.
Drinks include the misugaru frappe, made with roasted grain powder, and Korean apple cinnamon tea inspired by sujeonggwa, a traditional cinnamon punch. The cafe also serves light meals, including its brioche K-toast, Seoul spicy chicken panini and bulgogi bibimbap bowl.
The strawberry chocolate fresh cream cake and ice box were the bestselling desserts on opening day, while black sesame latte and dalgona cream top were the favored beverages by sales.
"We saw strong interest from local customers, with queues continuing from before opening until closing," said Twosome Place CEO Moon Young-joo. "We will use customer feedback to improve our products and services and introduce more Americans to the experience of pairing coffee with desserts."
Twosome Place will operate the store directly through a US subsidiary, using sales data and customer feedback to refine its offerings. The company plans to expand across the Washington, Maryland and Virginia region, targeting major commercial districts.
jyoungseon8@heraldcorp.com