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The Korea Times

By Kim Jae-heun
Luxury companies are becoming serious about the restaurant business in South Korea, as a way to maintain their posh image and continue to attract attention from young, trend-savvy consumers, according to industry officials.
Italian high-end luxury fashion house Gucci has opened Gucci Osteria restaurant in the Itaewon neighbourhood of Seoul, where it serves dishes cooked by a three-Michelin-star restaurant chef.
A burger costs 27,000 won (US$19) and a course menu ranges from 120,000 won to 170,000 won there. Despite its high prices, reservations for the restaurant were sold out four minutes after it opened.

French luxury firm Louis Vuitton also opened a pop-up restaurant called Pierre Sang at Louis Vuitton for just one month in May.
It was fully booked as soon as reservations opened up.
Global K-pop band BTS member J-Hope’s visit to the restaurant also played a key role in making it into one of the hottest places in Seoul.
With this momentum, Louis Vuitton opened a second pop-up restaurant in the posh Seoul neighbourhood of Cheongdam-dong, in September.
Despite most of its prices being in the 300,000-won range, it was fully booked as soon as it opened and people are now selling their reserved times to make a profit.

Swiss luxury watchmaker Breitling introduced a restaurant and a coffee shop together with its brand shop, which opened early this year.
The company expressed its luxury brand image in its food and beverages and has grabbed the attention of watch fans.
Korean popular eyewear brand Gentle Monster did not fall behind the trend, opening dessert cafe Nudake at its flagship store in Apgujeong, Seoul, where it has attracted dessert lovers from across the country.
How Gucci, Dior and more became part of hip hop’s high-fashion soundtrack
Selling a luxury brand experience
The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed luxury brands to promote their fashion items in the digital space, which turned out to be successful not only among those in their 20s and 30s, but also those in their 60s and 70s.
In the midst of this major paradigm shift, luxury brands have begun making investments to offer experiences of their brands in various ways. However, companies have also learned that there is a limit for customers to fully experience their brand identities and products online.

Thus, top-tier firms have begun opening restaurants and coffee shops. It costs less for customers to experience the luxury brands through food and desserts, compared to purchasing a handbag or clothing at a boutique.
Such visits to restaurants are temporary, but customers can experience the brand with their five senses without spending tens of millions of won.
In short, opening a restaurant and coffee shop can lower the entry barrier for customers to experience luxury brands.
This strategy has been proven with young customers of Korea’s MZ generation (millennials and Generation Z) who are emerging as a main consumer group of luxury goods.

Luxury brands focus on luxury lifestyle experiences
One of the reasons luxury brands are strengthening their food and beverage business is because they want to expand their brand experience into the lifestyle sector. Companies can show their brand value and identity through a new gourmet field.
“Luxury brands running restaurants and coffee shops focus more on the brand experience than its profitability. Food and beverages leave a strong impression for consumers and they naturally lead to creating bonds with the brand.
“In other words, this is a good marketing strategy to build customers’ loyalty to luxury brands,” a luxury firm official said.
Gen Z shoppers are feeling the pinch. That’s a big problem for luxury brands
Unlike restaurants in five-star hotels, luxury brand stores offer various consumer experiences through architecture, interior design and the cutlery items used at their restaurants.
“As an extension of going to fashion shows, experiencing luxury brand restaurant cuisine provides opportunities for customers to experience the lifestyles of the upper class by eating the same food in the same spaces with them,” the official said.
Read the full story at The Korea Times


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Food and Drinks

Can’t afford Gucci? Eat at their restaurant instead. Selling a luxury brand experience to millennials and Gen Z in South Korea through food

The Emilia Burger at Gucci Osteria Seoul. Photo: Gucci Osteria Seoul

Gucci Osteria in Seoul is a big hit with South Korea’s luxury-hungry Gen Z and millennials. Photo: Instagram/@gucciosteria

The Emilia Burger at Gucci Osteria, Seoul. Photo: Gucci Osteria Seoul

An immaculately set table at Gucci Osteria, in Seoul. Photo: Instagram/@gucciosteria

Nudake Dessert Shop, Seoul. Photo: Instagram/@nu_dake

The interior of Nudake Dessert Shop in Seoul. Photo: Instagram/@nu_dake

First K-pop, now K-food: Seoul in South Korea’s push to highlight its culinary culture beyond kimchi and kimbap is finding fans

Sea perch, potato at Restaurant Jueun in Seoul, which serves fine-dining traditional Korean cuisine. Photo: Restaurant Jueun

Dishes from 7th Door in Seoul. Modern Korean cuisine has been gaining attention both in South Korea and globally. Photo: 7th Door

Rice, seaweed and caviar at 7th Door. Photo: 7th Door

Braised short ribs at Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Choi Jung-yoon is the head chef of the Sempio Korean Fermentation Culinary Research Centre. Photo: Sempio Culinary Research Centre

Park Sung-bae and Cho Eun-hee are co-executive chefs of Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Sinseonro with rice at Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Seafood and beef kimchi salad at Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Mussel sea cucumber at Onjium. Photo: Onjium

Korean braised short ribs at Restaurant Jueun. Photo: Restaurant Jueun

Braised rockfish at 7th Door. Photo: 7th Door

Chef Kim Dae-chun of 7th Door. Photo: 7th Door

Sea perch, potato at Restaurant Jueun. Photo: Restaurant Jueun

Duck, water parsley at Restaurant Jueun. Photo: Restaurant Jueun

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Chefs Ian Kittichai and Richie Lin at their restaurant Plaa. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Gillardeau Oyster, tom kha, and aromatic oil at Plaa. Hong Kong’s new fine-dining Thai restaurant is the brainchild of award-winning chefs Ian Kittichai and Richie Lin. The two open up about how they met, and inspirations behind their unique take on local seafood. Photo: Plaa

Chefs Ian Kittichai and Richie Lin at their new restaurant Plaa, in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Wagyu beef cheek, massaman curry, morel man goong mushroom at Plaa. Photo: Plaa

Scallops, blade coriander and yellow capsicum at Plaa. Photo: Plaa

Threadfin at Plaa. Photo: Plaa

The interior of Plaa. Photo: Plaa

Mackerel, fermented shrimp and snake gourd at Plaa. Photo: Plaa

Mantis shrimp, bottarga and fingerroot at Plaa. Photo: Plaa

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Stefano Balsamo is CEO of The Italian Club platform, which has just launched a flagship fine-dining restaurant in Hong Kong. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A smoked swordfish dish from The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar. Photo: The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar

Baked Mediterranean monkfish from The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar. Photo: The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar

A prawn dish from The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar. Photo: The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar

An oyster dish from The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar. Photo: The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar

The inside of The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar. Photo: The Italian Club Seafood Wine Bar

Balsamo is planning a possible second restaurant and even more outlets. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Fashion & Beauty

Global luxury brands from Gucci to Louis Vuitton are targeting young, trend-savvy consumers by entering the restaurant business
Place such as Gucci Osteria Seoul, with its three-Michelin-star head chef, offer a lower barrier to entry than buying a handbag – and are booked out in minutes


Recent shifts in consumer behaviour have led luxury brands to adapt. Gucci and Louis Vuitton have opened restaurants to cultivate brand loyalty among millennial and Gen Z consumers in South Korea.
