1 in 10 coffee drinkers chooses decaf as demand surges in Korea

One in 10 coffee drinkers in Korea now opts for decaffeinated coffee, signaling that decaf has become a mainstream beverage choice rather than a niche option for people sensitive to caffeine. Starbucks Korea said Monday that its decaf coffee sales have steadily risen over the past three years, from 20.2 million cups in 2022 to 21 million in 2023 and 32.7 million in 2024. Decaf now accounts for about 1 in every 10 cups of Americano sold nationwide. Sales are particularly strong in the afternoon, when customers tend to avoid caffeine intake. Between Oct. 1-15, decaf sales at Starbucks remained similar to those in July, but other coffee chains saw notable growth. During the same period, Twosome Place reported a 32 percent increase in decaf sales after 5 p.m. compared with three months earlier, while Ediya Coffee recorded a 15 percent rise. Production data also shows the growing popularity of decaf coffee. According to Rep. Park Hee-seung of the Democratic Party of Korea, citing data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, domestic decaf coffee production reached 18.64 million kilograms iWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times