Starbucks Korea expands 'Focus Zone' locations near university campuses

The "Focus Zone" area at the Starbucks Korea Hanyang University ERICA location / Courtesy of Starbucks Korea

Starbucks Korea is expanding its designated “Focus Zone” concept across its locations near university campuses, catering to customers who use cafes as dedicated spaces for studying or remote work.

The company said the Focus Zone is a dedicated area within select stores designed for solo or paired customers visiting for study or work purposes.

While Starbucks Korea has long offered single-occupancy seats and power outlet seating, it began operating the Focus Zone as a formally separated section in August last year, distinguishing it from general seating areas.

Six locations currently feature the concept: Sillim Nokdu-geori, Songpa Bangi, Ilsan Hugok, Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Station, Sejong University and Hanyang University ERICA.

The two most recent additions — the Sejong University and Hanyang University ERICA locations, both opened this year — were designed with university commercial districts in mind. At each, roughly half of the total floor space is allocated to the Focus Zone, reflecting the high proportion of student customers visiting for coursework and exam preparation.

The company said it plans to apply the concept actively when opening new stores in university districts, depending on student demand.

The Hanyang University ERICA shop, which opened March 31, is located within the campus itself and offers views of the campus grounds through floor-to-ceiling windows. Its Focus Zone includes single booths for solo study or rest, community meeting tables for group work and partitioned window-facing tables.

The Sejong University store, which opened Feb. 27 on the first floor of the university's student union building, has drawn steady foot traffic since opening. Its single booth seats, fitted with L-shaped partitions for full concentration, have been particularly popular among students.

Starbucks Korea said the Focus Zone is part of a broader strategy to tailor store layouts to specific customer needs.

The company introduced a Family Friendly Zone at its Sejong Arts Center store in May last year, featuring multiperson seating alongside a nursing room and diaper-changing facilities.

"We are expanding customers' spatial experience through store design tailored to purpose of visit and length of stay," a Starbucks Korea official said.

"We will continue to introduce spaces unique to Starbucks so that customers can spend more meaningful time in our stores."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.