| A Twosome Place | |
| Industry: | Food service |
| Foundation: | South Korea (February 1, 2018 (Incorporation)) |
| Hq Location City: | 170, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea |
| Num Locations: | 1000+ stores (2021) |
| 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] |
A Twosome Place, is a premium dessert cafe and coffee franchise in South Korea. It was founded in 2002 in Sinchon and operates more than 1,640 stores nationwide as of the end of 2023.[2] After launching the franchise business in 2008, CJ Foodville's coffee division was spun off and incorporated in February 2018, and was acquired by US private equity firm Carlyle Group in 2021.[3]
A Twosome Place’s brand name means a pleasant place to enjoy a small luxury. 'A CUP OF COFFEE' (with a warm cup of coffee), 'TWO' OF US' (with us), 'SOME' DESSERT (with differentiated desserts that are pleasing to the eye and mouth), and 'PLACE' (a happy space where you can enjoy small luxuries).[4]
COFFEE
A Twosome Place selects only the freshest coffee beans from premium origins, curated by their Q-Grader. The beans are then crafted into three distinct blends, each with its unique character.
A Twosome Place offers three unique blends: Black Ground, Aroma Note, and SWP Decaf. Black Ground is dark roasted for a deep, rich, and chocolaty flavor, while Aroma Note is fruity and floral with minimal flavor loss for a lighter body and fresher taste than Black Ground.[5]
DESSERT
A Twosome Place’s dessert selection includes cakes, macarons, chocolates, and ice cream. Their desserts include cakes, macarons, chocolates, and ice cream. The cakes are available in whole cakes as well as slices. Among them, the signature flavors are Strawberry Chocolate Cake and Tiramisu.
TWG TEA
Recognizing the growing demand for tea among its 2040 customers, A Twosome Place secured an exclusive partnership with TWG, the first of its kind in the coffee specialty store industry.[6] Based in Singapore, TWG is a premium tea brand, domestically sold in limited venues such as 5-star hotels and luxury department stores. A Twosome Place offers Earl Grey, Mint, Chamomile, Cream Caramel(Rooibos), and Black Tea.
It started with the launch of the A Twosome Place brand in 2002, and started the franchise business in 2009. In 2010, it achieved 100 chain stores. 2011 opened its first new franchise in China, not in Korea. Twosome Place has had nearly 100 franchises each year and opened its first complex store in Ridu, China's in 2012. In 2016, the company opened the 'Roastery cafe', a flagship store for modern people who can enjoy special coffee and dessert, as well as a place to see the process of roasting beans and making Cold Brew.
At present, it has 1,000 stores in Korea and 45 overseas stores. It ranks No. 1 in profits at Korean franchises except Starbucks.
Except for Starbucks, which operates only direct stores, Twosome Place's sales are ranked No. 1 in Korean cafe sales. In addition, since the introduction of TWG in 2014, sales have increased by more than 60%.[7] In addition, a total of 180 billion won in overseas investment was realized by raising 50 billion won through the issuance of new shares after selling 130 billion won in shares to ordinary shares in February 2018.[8]
Animal cruelty allegations
A Twosome Place has been facing negative publicity because it does not have a clear plan for switching to cage-free eggs in all its locations.[9] Due to the cruel conditions on battery-cage farms, as well as the health risks associated with eggs produced in battery cages, the European Union Council Directive 1999/74/EC banned caged farming back in 2012.