Starbucks has opened a unique store in Daegu, South Korea, named “Starbucks Hanok,” styled after old Korean traditional houses.

A hanok, which was first originally built as a dugout hut around 6,000 BC in the early Neolithic period, is a traditional Korean house and was shaped differently by region.  

The space is a collaboration between Starbucks and Bang & Olufsen, a high-end Danish consumer electronics business that creates and manufactures audio devices.

The design of the new Starbucks location, which takes up about 7000sqft, was inspired by the city’s historic buildings and architecture. It has an open layout, Asian-inspired wooden floor seating, and indoor windows that overlook a garden.

Customers can enjoy music in a designated area that was built in partnership with Bang & Olufsen, and the two businesses also worked together to produce the new Beosound Explore portable Bluetooth speaker, which will be offered instore.

Starbucks opened its first store in South Korea in 1999 as part of a cooperation with the Shinsegae Group, and it now has more than 1500 outlets across the country.

The giant US coffee retailer considers South Korea one of the most important markets due to the coffee-drinking culture of locals. Statista reports Starbucks drinkers spent almost US$18.76 per visit on average in 2020.