"SchoSaeng Heads to the U.S."...Twosome Place Enters American Market with 'K-Pairing' Experience

Twosome Place U.S. Expansion Press Conference

"Stepping Up as a Global Multi-Brand F&B Platform"

"We are taking Korea's signature ‘SchoSaeng’ (Strawberry Chocolate Fresh Cream Cake) to the United States."

Twosome Place will open its first U.S. store next month, marking its entry into the American market. Leveraging the demand for coffee and dessert pairing culture confirmed in Korea, the company plans to introduce the ‘K-Pairing’ experience to local customers in the United States and establish a foundation for global business expansion.

Virtual rendering image of the exterior of Twosome Place Alexandria Store No. 1 in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.

Moon Youngjoo, CEO and Chairman of Twosome Place, announced at a press conference on U.S. expansion held at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 3rd, that the company will open its first U.S. store in Old Town King Street, Alexandria, Virginia, in October.

Moon stated, "Since 2023, Twosome Place has built up its signature assets and secured market competitiveness, establishing a new growth foundation. From this year through next year, our aim is to lay the groundwork for Twosome Place to become a global multi-brand F&B platform."

Twosome Place will base its menu on its signature cakes, ‘SchoSaeng’ and ‘Abak’ (spoonable Ice Box), and also introduce U.S.-exclusive offerings that combine distinctive Korean flavors with local tastes. The company will launch new cakes reinterpreting Korean ingredients and flavors such as dalgona, black sesame, and injeolmi. In addition, meal options like ‘K-Toast’ using bulgogi and egg, and ‘Bulgogi Bibimbowl’ will be offered.

Furthermore, taking into account the unique characteristics of the U.S. market—where, unlike in Korea where most sales occur after lunchtime, breakfast sales account for a significant portion in the early morning hours—as well as the ‘all-day cafe’ culture that became established after COVID-19, Twosome Place will operate its stores accordingly.

Kim Shinyoung, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Twosome Place, explained that the company’s cake style, compared to those in the U.S.—often regarded as the home of cakes—features fresh cream and mousse bases for a lighter, softer texture, less sweetness, and a sophisticated, fresh fruit-oriented design, making it distinctive. He emphasized, "What Twosome Place aims to bring to the U.S. market is not just individual K-desserts or K-menu items, but an experience of enjoying coffee and dessert together."

Twosome Place revealed that its preparations for U.S. expansion began two years ago. During this process, the company considered major cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, and New York, but ultimately chose Alexandria, a city close to Washington, D.C., and popular among locals for its lifestyle offerings, including residential, leisure, and dining options, as the entry point. The company added that its R&D team has conducted extended product verification for local adaptation, and has worked on sourcing key ingredients like fruit and fresh cream from local suppliers.

Moon Youngjoo, CEO and Chairman of Twosome Place, is speaking at a press conference on US market entry held on the 3rd at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul. Provided by Twosome Place

Starting with the first store, Twosome Place plans to sequentially open additional stores in major commercial districts throughout the DMC region, including Washington, D.C., and Virginia. By securing key locations in the DMC area, the company is also considering future northward expansion into New York and New Jersey, and southward into Atlanta. In order to effectively compete with leading global cafe chains in the U.S., Twosome Place will initially operate all stores through direct management, making significant investments locally.

COO Kim stated, "Opening a single store costs about 1.5 to 2 billion won at the current exchange rate. Internally, we are considering expanding to up to 15 stores in the short term, but will make final decisions as we open and operate more locations." He added, "Direct operation requires more capital, but we plan to make aggressive investments. Once directly operated stores become stabilized and profitable over time, we will also consider expanding through franchise operations in the future."

Building on its entry into the United States, Twosome Place intends to begin full-scale global expansion by 2028, targeting major markets worldwide, with Japan also under consideration. Moon stated that overseas expansion is a necessary next step, given the ongoing growth in domestic store count and per-store sales. As of last month, Twosome Place operated 1,750 stores in Korea.

The recent move into the U.S. is viewed by some as a strategic decision to enhance corporate value. Previously, Twosome Place was acquired by global private equity firm Carlyle in 2022. Now, in the fifth year after the acquisition, observers note that the growth potential of its overseas business—including the U.S.—could become a key factor in corporate value assessments if a company sale materializes in the future. Moon commented, "U.S. expansion involves significant investment, so it is difficult to raise corporate value in the short term. Of course, a business should aim to increase enterprise value, but this is about starting the long-term journey to expand as a global F&B brand."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.