Writer Kim Jin-ho's Water and Health Story (75) Café Survival and Growth Begin with 'Coffee Taste Innovation'

While the Republic of Korea is called the 'Coffee Republic' with cafés overflowing everywhere, the era when operational experience guaranteed growth at establishments has now ended.

In the past, both franchise and independent cafés could sustain their business at the level of simple operators merely extracting coffee mechanically. However, in a market that has already become an intensely saturated red ocean, there is no visible future for managers without expertise.

The Essential Value of Coffee Distinguished by Details

Now is an era where 'skill' is essential—one that deeply understands the terroir of coffee beans and designs the quality of water to convey accurate cup notes to customers.

In particular, CVA (Coffee Value Assessment), the new coffee valuation method introduced by the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association), is a fundamental competency that café operators must possess. This is because it evaluates coffee value in a scientific and logical manner and serves as a standard language enabling communication within the coffee industry.

A Case of Innovative Young Manager, CEO Kim Beom-yeon

At the center of this trend are young managers in their 30s who possess both skill and marketing ability simultaneously. A prime example is CEO Kim Beom-yeon, developer of 'Mineral Maker,' which innovates water to awaken health and coffee's energy. Not only has he stopped at functional water development, but he has even acquired the SCA Q Grader (International Coffee Sommelier) certification to scientifically clarify the correlation between coffee and water.

Moreover, he is sharing knowledge by publishing his book "The Secret to Perfect Coffee Taste," which documents cases solving coffee taste problems at cafés nationwide, and his recent work "Faith Creates Wealth." He also actively communicates with customers through SNS marketing. Young leaders equipped with these two engines of knowledge and marketing are opening a new future for the coffee business.

Endless Research and Investment: The Challenge of Sewoong G.C.

Recently, this writer visited a cupping session held at the coffee lab of 'Sewoong G.C.,' Korea's first green coffee bean company. Despite the late evening hour, the energy of young baristas and roastery entrepreneurs who gathered to find better beans, even paying participation fees, was intense.

What is noteworthy is that even Sewoong G.C., with a 30-year history, stands at the forefront of change. This green coffee company is perfecting optimal tasting notes by using 'magnesium water' to maximize the inherent taste of specialty coffee. Even veteran enterprises continue to pursue innovation through the 'combination of premium green beans and water.'

Management is a Process of Evaluation and Innovation

"Management is the administration of rules and processes, and a process of evaluation and innovation."

For a café or business to be sustainable, it must constantly innovate itself, breaking free from fixed ideas. Only when scientific approaches to coffee taste, skill development, and marketing ability to communicate these to customers combine will the future of cafés brighten.

If you wish to grow in the Coffee Republic of Korea, you must constantly ask yourself, "What innovation is my coffee making today?" and accelerate improvement activities accordingly.