Dongsuh Foods opens 'Maxim Plant' for coffee aficionados
Dongsuh Foods plans to provide coffee lovers with new experiences at its Maxim Plant in Hannam-dong, Seoul. / Courtesy of Dongsuh Foods
By Yoon Ja-young
Dongsuh Foods is opening a cultural center for coffee lovers where they can find happiness with a cup of coffee.
According to the country's top coffee manufacturer, it is officially introducing its “Maxim Plant” in Hannam-dong, downtown Seoul, on April 28, where visitors can experience the philosophy, emotion and expertise included in its coffee brand “Maxim.”
The 1,636 square meter facility contains cultural spaces related with coffee, including “coffee plant,” “production plant,” and “culture plant.” At the coffee plant, visitors can experience coffee made with beans carefully selected by Maxim. At the production plant, they will witness Maxim's technology which made it the most beloved coffee in the country over the past decades. Culture plant, meanwhile, offers opportunities to enjoy culture and trends.
According to Dongsuh Foods, its Maxim Plant was designed under the theme “a garden in the city, a coffee factory in the forest.” The plant thus refers to both a factory and living things. To serve the dual meanings, Maxim Plant has both coffee manufacturing equipment and diverse plants such as ivy decorating every corner. Visitors will also see diverse attractions that show the manufacturing process of Maxim coffee, conveying the brand story in diverse dimensions.
The most notable is the roasting room located in the basement of the building. It reveals a part of the extensive coffee manufacturing procedure, and coffee experts dispatched by Maxim will be engaged in research about taste, aroma and characteristics of coffee beans there. Visitors can see coffee beans automatically moving from nine silos to five roasters, including a main roaster which is capable of making a roast profile.
There will also be a coffee academy where customers can enhance their understanding of the beverage. It also offers training for those wishing to become baristas. Dongsuh Foods noted that it plans to reflect customers' advice gathered there when coming up with new products.
At “The Reserve” located on the third floor, Maxim will serve 24 specialty coffee blends named “Synesthesia Coffee” based on its coffee bean archive which it has completed through the handling of hundreds of thousands of coffee beans during the past 50 years. It also plans to provide a venue for performances by diverse artists.
“Maxim Plant is based on the philosophy and expertise of Dongsuh Foods, which has pursued the finest coffee during the past 50 years,” a spokesperson for Dongsuh Foods said.
“We hope that a cup of coffee offered at this small garden in the city will instill our customers with happiness.”