Cafe Mamas, which led the brunch craze with salads topped with ricotta cheese and grilled panini, is disappearing. It was popular enough to draw lines on weekends or at lunchtime, but the number of locations, which once topped 20, has plunged in recent years. The result reflects shifting dining trends as the salad market grows and options targeting similar demand, such as poke and Greek yogurt, diversify.
According to the retail and dining industries on the 13th, Cafe Mamas has recently been closing key locations one after another. A notice announcing closure has been posted at its flagship City Hall location. Stores in major commercial districts such as Jamsil, COEX, Gangnam Station, and Hanam Starfield have also shut down. At one point there were more than 20 locations, but only about four remain now.
Cafe Mamas is a brand that defined the period when brunch culture began to spread in Korea. It started in 2002 as a small cafe in Seosomun, Seoul, and gained word-of-mouth popularity with salads, panini, and fresh green grape juice. In particular, the salad topped with house-made ricotta cheese became so popular that many cafes and dining chains later rolled out similar menus.
As the number of stores grew, sales rose quickly. Annual sales at Mamas Food, which operates Cafe Mamas, increased from 20 million won in 2008 to 22.8 billion won in 2014. Recently, the situation has changed. Sales fell from 17.2 billion won in 2022 to 16.6 billion won in 2023, 14.0 billion won in 2024, and 11.0 billion won last year, down about 36% over three years. Operating losses are continuing.
While Cafe Mamas has been slimming down, the salad market has expanded. In the past, salads were considered a side or a diet option, but now they have taken hold as an everyday meal. Not only salad-focused chains but also cafes and convenience stores are increasing related offerings.
Salady, a salad franchise, has grown from 17 locations in 2017 to more than 400 now, and last year's sales topped 100 billion won. Crispy Fresh, the salad brand of Dongwon Home Food, has been posting double-digit growth every year, and CU's salad sales have also recorded double-digit growth for three consecutive years.
As salads have gone mainstream, competition for light and healthy meals has intensified. The standout is poke. It is a bowl-based menu built on grains and vegetables, with salmon, tuna, meats, and other proteins and toppings added as desired. Poke All Day, a poke-focused franchise, operates more than 150 locations nationwide. There are also more specialty shops for Greek yogurt and acai bowls.
Consumers have also become more demanding in how they choose healthy meals. When Cafe Mamas was popular, the homemade approach—house-made cheese and fresh fruit juice—was a key edge, but now even nutrients such as protein content and sugars must be considered. A food-service industry official said, "That is why salad companies are rolling out high-protein, high-fiber menus and expanding topping and sauce options," adding, "More people are also looking for menus that make it easy to finish a meal with one bowl or that are good for takeout and delivery."
Cafe Mamas has not shut the business entirely. While reducing existing locations, it is operating Standing Cafe Mamas, a takeout-focused store. It is also running a catering service that provides signature items such as ricotta cheese salad and sandwiches for group orders.
Mamas Food has attempted to sell the company multiple times since 2018. At the end of 2023, it selected Samjong KPMG as the lead manager and moved to sell, and in 2024 it signed a stock purchase agreement (SPA) with Simond Asset Management. However, the transaction ultimately fell through, and the company has since continued under its existing shareholder structure.