On the 18th, on Yeongdo Island, a southern Busan island also called Yeongdo (影島), at the Momos Coffee shop. The scent of the sea and freshly roasted coffee brushed past in turn. Along the wharf in front of the shop, large and small boats were moored side by side, and beyond them the Busan Bridge came into full view. The sea, ships, and cityscape blended naturally with a cup of coffee.
It was past 2 p.m. on a weekday, but the roughly 1,818 square-meter (550-pyeong) shop bustled with customers. They ranged from couples in their 20s and 30s to families with children, and overseas tourists from places like Taiwan and the United States. The warehouse-turned-shop opened wide toward the sea. In the center stood a coffee-making bar, where baristas ground beans and brewed coffee in front of customers. Those who made the coffee and those who drank it mingled in the same space.
A roastery where green beans are roasted into coffee beans, a lab for quality research, and offices that handle overseas work such as green bean imports were clearly visible through transparent glass. It was closer to a space that showed, end to end, how coffee is made, studied, and handed off to customers, rather than a place that simply "sells" coffee.
Jeon Ju-yeon, head of Momos Coffee, said it is "a space that shares a culture of making and enjoying coffee on Yeongdo, an island with the most Busan-like scenery."
Momos Coffee operates four shops in Busan alone, including the Yeongdo location, the main store in Oncheonjang in Geumjeong District, the Marine City shop in Haeundae District, and the Domohon shop in Suyeong District. Revenue last year was 32 billion won, with 4 billion won in net profit. More than 1 million customers visit Momos Coffee's Busan shops in a year.
Relentless investment in "quality" underpins Momos Coffee's growth. Momos Coffee began in 2007 as a 4-pyeong takeout shop opened in Oncheonjang, Geumjeong District, Busan, by four Busan natives including founder Lee Hyun-gi and head Jeon Ju-yeon.
The turning point came in 2009. Spurred by attending the Specialty Coffee Expo in the United States, the company dove in earnest into specialty coffee. Since then, it has conducted continuous research in its own lab and built a system to import green beans directly from 15 countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa to develop and sell coffee. Beyond highlighting the character of single-origin beans, it also offers blended products that combine two to three kinds of beans.
Results on the global stage also raised the Momos Coffee brand's profile. Since 2009, Jeon has steadily competed in barista championships and, at the 20th World Barista Championship held in Boston in 2019, became the first Korean to win. The long-running push in competitions and investment in coffee quality carried Momos Coffee's name beyond Busan to Korea and, further, to the world.
Expansion of the online business became another pillar of growth. Momos Coffee ramped up its online business in 2023, and now 40% of total revenue comes from online.
The organization also grew. From four people at its founding, Momos Coffee now has 183 employees, including more than 60 baristas. Notably, about 60% of all employees came to Busan from outside the city to work at Momos Coffee. The small coffee shop that started in Busan has grown into a brand that now draws outside talent into Busan.
Another reason Momos Coffee stands out is that it grows in step with the local community. Momos Coffee closes its shops at 6 p.m., earlier than typical cafes. That way, employees who have to work weekends can spend their evenings with family or on their own time.
After business hours, the shop transforms again. Since 2021, Momos Coffee has hosted a variety of local programs, including forums, poetry readings, book clubs, and design brand events. If it is a place to enjoy coffee by day, it becomes a place for culture and people to gather in the evening. People who once visited to drink coffee return for cultural programs, and in that process, people and the community achieve consolidation.
Jeon said, "I wanted to create a place where people who love coffee, as well as local artists and residents, can come together and have a good time."
The Yeongdo shop most clearly shows the direction Momos Coffee pursues. Yeongdo was once regarded as a place people left, but now there are those who come to Busan for Momos Coffee, and to Yeongdo in particular. A single shop has become a regional "anchor" that goes beyond a space for consuming coffee to gather people and jobs and draw culture and tourists.
Momos Coffee is considering medium- to long-term expansion into overseas markets such as the United States and Europe. There are no plans to enter Seoul. Jeon said, "We are reviewing and pursuing engaging projects that can promote Busan and Momos Coffee to the world." Rooted in Busan, Momos Coffee is now preparing for its next leap into the global market.