Paik's Coffee Eyes 150 Taiwan Stores in 5-Year Master Franchise Push

Paik's Coffee, the South Korean coffee franchise, is making its move into Taiwan. The company signed a 10-year master franchise agreement with a local Taiwanese partner this week, committing to a deliberate expansion schedule that aims to plant 150 or more locations across the island within five years. Founder Paik Jong-won attended the signing ceremony in Taiwan, contract in hand and smiling for the cameras.

The roadmap is methodical. Ten stores will open in the first year, with annual increases planned thereafter to reach that 150-store threshold by year five. The first location is targeted for the first half of next year. Before that happens, Theborn Korea—the parent company—is conducting market research to understand how Taiwanese consumers prefer their coffee and which commercial districts offer the best opportunities. This is not a rush-in-and-see approach; it is a company preparing to adapt.

This Taiwan entry arrives as Paik's Coffee is already testing international waters elsewhere. Last month, the brand opened two directly operated stores in Tokyo, one in Shimbashi and one in Kanda. Both are moving volume: more than 1,000 beverages sold per day on weekdays. That performance matters because it suggests the Korean model—affordable, accessible coffee—has legs beyond Korea's borders. Theborn Korea is watching these numbers closely as it plans its next moves. China, the United States, and India are all targeted for entry next year. Cambodia and Turkey are also under consideration.

The Taiwan deal carries particular weight because it marks another chapter in Paik Jong-won's transformation from television personality to businessman. In May of last year, he announced he was stepping back from broadcasting. He said then that he would stop appearing on South Korean television programs except for those already in production, and that he was redirecting his full focus toward building Theborn Korea as a company, not as a celebrity. He has kept that promise. He has not returned to Korean television, but he has been active internationally—visiting a Theborn Korea restaurant in Taipei last September to promote Korean cuisine, and traveling recently to the United States and Canada to support expansion efforts there.

The timing of this Taiwan push reflects a harder reality in South Korea itself. The domestic coffee franchise market is saturated. Competition is fierce, margins are thin, and growth is limited. Overseas markets offer room to expand. Theborn Korea operates multiple restaurant brands beyond Paik's Coffee, and industry observers see the Taiwan coffee venture as a test case. If Paik's Coffee can establish itself successfully in Taiwan, it signals that the company's other brands—and its business model more broadly—can travel. A win in Taiwan becomes a proof of concept for what comes next.

Taiwan's coffee market is not empty territory. Demand for premium coffee and specialty beans has grown sharply in recent years. Local chains like Louisa Coffee have built followings. Starbucks and other global brands are present. Paik's Coffee will be entering a market with established players and educated consumers. The question now is whether the Korean franchise model—built on value and accessibility—can find its place in that landscape. The company believes it can. The next five years will show whether that confidence is justified.