Maeil Dairies opens Amazing Oat pop-up cafe in Seoul
Customers pick out desserts at Maeil Dairies' Cafe Amazing Oat in eastern Seoul's Seongsu-dong neighborhood, Oct. 10. Courtesy of Maeil Dairies
By Kim Jae-heun
Maeil Dairies opened the Cafe Amazing Oat last Saturday in Seoul, welcoming customers to experience the true taste and nutrition of oats, the company said Tuesday.
The dairy firm is operating the pop-up cafe for a month until Nov. 6 in eastern Seoul's Seongsu-dong neighborhood, offering various beverages and desserts highlighting the Amazing Oat vegetarian-friendly drink brand.
Customers can also join vegan baking classes and take selfies in the photo zone as well as purchase related goods there.
Since August last year, the company has launched three types of Amazing Oat milk substitutes using imported and processed Finnish oats.
The oat latte is the most popular beverage sold at the pop-up, using the company's milk substitute instead of dairy milk to offer the unique savory and soft taste of oats.
“We opened the pop-up store to provide our customers a chance to experience the benefits of oat-based vegetarian-friendly drinks and the taste of Amazing Oat products,” a Maeil Dairies official said.
The dairy firm plans to grow Amazing Oat as its key brand in the future, as milk consumption here continues to decrease, stalling the company's growth as a result. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, per capita milk consumption decreased from 36.5 kilograms in 2001 to 31.8 kilograms in 2020.
On the other hand, the market for vegetarian-friendly dairy products is growing.
The size of the market, including soy milk, increased from about 466 billion won ($324.73 million) in 2016 to 633 billion won in 2021. A widespread perception of oats' rich dietary fiber has drawn consumers' attention.
“The vegetarian-friendly dairy products market is expected to grow to 1 trillion won by 2025. We plan to double our sales next year by expanding our business not only in the B2B sector, but also B2C,” the official said.