Rising costs and intensifying competition among low-budget coffee franchise firms in Korea are forcing companies to expand their non-coffee offerings to stay afloat in the market. The most drastic measure is Compose Coffee’s plan to introduce tteokbokki (rice cake simmered with red pepper paste) to its menu starting next month. The company said last week it has prepared the launch across more than 3,000 franchisee locations nationwide. The planned tteokbokki launch by Compose Coffee, one of the country’s three major low-budget coffee brands alongside Mega MGC Coffee and Paik’s Coffee, indicates the company’s current menus may not be sustainable in a competitive market. Compose Coffee has been selling food items like pastries and cookies, but tteokbokki, a popular street food here, is almost an unprecedented venture by any coffee brand. Low-budget coffee brands, currently selling a cup of hot americano for 1,500 won ($1.03) to 1,700 won, are still major draws for the country’s massive volume of coffee drinkers. The problem is the rise in production costs, which has made it diff
Why is Compose Coffee adding tteokbokki to its menu?
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- Why is Compose Coffee adding tteokbokki to its menu?Rising costs and intensifying competition among low-budget coffee franchise firms in Korea are forcing companies to expand their non-coffee offerings to stay afloat in the market. The most drastic measure is Compose Coffee’s plan to introduce tteokbokki (rice cake simmered with red pepper paste) to its menu starting next month. The company said last week it has prepared the launch… Read more: Why is Compose Coffee adding tteokbokki to its menu?
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