A Twosome Place
| Industry | Food service |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002, South Korea |
| Headquarters | 170, Euljiro, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea |
Number of locations | 1,640+ stores (2023) |
| Owner | The Carlyle Group, through Trinity Holdings, L.P. (100%) |
| Parent | CJ Foodville (CJ Group; 2002–2020) Anchor Equity Partners (2020–2021) The Carlyle Group (since 2021)[1] |
| Website | twosome |
A Twosome Place (Korean: 투썸플레이스) is a South Korean coffeehouse chain specializing in coffee and desserts. Since the opening of its first store in Sinchon, Seoul, in 2002, the brand has grown to approximately 1,700 locations nationwide as of June 2025. Following the launch of its franchise business in 2008, A Twosome Place was established as an independent corporation in February 2018 through a spin-off from CJ Foodville's coffee business. In November 2021, the company was acquired by the Carlyle Group, a U.S.-based global investment firm.
Name meaning
The chain's name comes from the slogan "A cup of coffee, Two of us, Some dessert Place.[2][3][4]
History
A Twosome Place, created in 2002 by CJ Foodville, opened its first store in Sinchon, Seoul,[3] and it launched its franchise model in 2008, with a store in Sinsa, Gangnam.[3] In 2010, it opened its 100th location, and a year later, it expanded into the Chinese market. By the end of 2017, it had 45 stores in that country.[5] Also in 2017, A Twosome Place signed a partnership with Singapore's TWG Tea, adding its products to its menu.[6] In 2018, the brand was spun off from CJ Foodville.[5] In 2021, it was acquired by the American private equity firm the Carlyle Group.[7][8] Despite the financial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022), A Twosome Place was the only coffeehouse chain in South Korea to record a profit.[7] However, that year, it was forced to liquidate its Chinese subsidiary, A Twosome Shanghai.[9] By the end of 2025, the company operated more than 1,700 stores across South Korea.[10][11][12] That year, the "Twosome 2.0" concept was created, distinguishing the company with a more luxurious design than other A Twosome Place locations.[13] The company runs its own research and development center,[3] and it has a proprietary Mobile application, called Twosome Heart.[7][3]
Milestones
- 2002: Opening of the first A Twosome Place store in Sinchon, Seoul<ref">"CJ 카페사업 진출 '투썸플레이스' 1호점 개점" [CJ Enters the Café Business, Opening the First "A Twosome Place" Store]. The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). 27 October 2002.</ref>
- 2008: Launch of franchise business[14]
- 2010: Opening of 100th store[15]
- 2014: Introduction of the industry's first program giving customers the option to choose between two distinct bean profiles[16]
- 2016: Opening of the first drive-thru location[17]
See also
References
- ^ Kim, Chae-yeon (19 November 2021). "Carlyle buys coffee franchise A Twosome Place for over $800 mn". The Korea Economic Daily Global. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Small Indulgence" (in Korean).
- ^ a b c d e "[장수브랜드 탄생비화]어느덧 20년, 일상 속 녹아든 '투썸플레이스'" [The Birth Story of a Long-Lived Brand: Twosome Place, Now a Part of Our Daily Lives, 20 Years Later] (in Korean). 11 December 2022.
- ^ "투썸플레이스, 세대 확장 본격화 "프리미엄 디저트 카페 새 기준 정립"" [A Twosome Place Accelerates Generational Expansion, "Setting a New Standard for Premium Dessert Cafés"]. Newsis (in Korean). 16 December 2025.
- ^ a b "ko:투썸플레이스, 해외에서 돌파구 찾을까(종합)" [Will A Twosome Place Find a Breakthrough Overseas? (Comprehensive)]. 연합인포맥스 (in Korean). 28 February 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ "투썸플레이스, 싱가포르 명품 차 'TWG' 업계 단독 출시" [Twosome Place Launches Singapore's Premium Tea Brand, TWG, Exclusively for the Industry] (in Korean).
- ^ a b c "ko:[외식 프랜차이즈 리포트]투썸플레이스, 론칭 20돌 '채널·인프라' 힘준다" [[Restaurant Franchise Report] Twosome Place Celebrates 20 Years of Launch with Strength in Channels and Infrastructure]. 더벨뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "[친절한 Ib씨] 22년 전 대성공 후 돌아온 칼라일···연초부터 빅딜 예고" ["Friendly Mr. Ib" Carlyle returns after 22 years of success... Big deals predicted for the beginning of the year] (in Korean).
- ^ "ko:[커피전문점 지각변동]투썸플레이스, 음성·정읍공장 투트랙 '원두·디저트' 경쟁력 제고" [[Coffee Shop Seismic Shift] Twosome Place Boosts Competitiveness with Two-Track Coffee Beans and Desserts at Its Eumseong and Jeongeup Factories]. 더벨뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "투썸플레이스, 인천공항에 1700호점 개장... 해외 고객 접점 확대" [A Twosome Place Opens 1,700th Store at Incheon Airport, Expanding Global Customer Touchpoints]. Chosun Biz (in Korean). 10 June 2025.
- ^ ""3000점 시대" 메가커피, 韓매장수 1위 이디야 연내 추월 가능성" [Mega Coffee, now in the "3,000-point era", could overtake Ediya, the leading Korean coffee chain, within the year.] (in Korean). 10 May 2024.
- ^ "커피 시장 '가성비' vs '프리미엄' 재편...중저가 브랜드 성장 정체" [Coffee Market Reshaped by "Value for Money" vs. "Premium" Trends... Mid-Priced Brands Face Growth Stagnation]. Aju Business Daily (in Korean). 16 November 2025.
- ^ Coffee franchises are racing to introduce premium and specialized stores to strengthen their differentiation strategies. Maeil Business Newspaper. 15 September 2025. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ^ "투썸플레이스, 가맹사업 모집에 나선다" [A Twosome Place Launches Franchise Recruitment]. Newsis (in Korean). 8 September 2008.
- ^ "투썸플레이스, 100호점 '우리금융 상암센터점' 오픈" [A Twosome Place Opens Its 100th Store at Woori Finance Sangam Center]. Money Today (in Korean). 19 October 2010.
- ^ "CJ푸드빌 투썸, '원두 맛 선택' 서비스... 차별화 나섰다" [CJ Foodville's A Twosome Place Introduces Coffee Bean Selection Service to Differentiate Its Offerings]. E Today (in Korean). 6 August 2014.
- ^ "막오른 커피전문점 선두경쟁...CJ 투썸, 스타벅스 따라 첫 '드라이브스루' 오픈" [Competition Intensifies Among Coffee Chains... CJ's A Twosome Place Opens Its First Drive-Through Store Following Starbucks]. Money Today (in Korean). 12 December 2016.