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 premium dessert cafe and coffeehouse chain in South Korea. It was founded in 2002 in Sinchon, Seoul, and operated more than 1,640 stores nationwide by the end of 2023. After expanding to a franchise model in 2008, CJ Foodville's coffee division was spun off and incorporated in February 2018, and it was acquired by the US private equity firm Carlyle Group in 2021.
Name meaning
The chain's name comes from the slogan "A cup of coffee, Two of us, Some dessert Place.[2][3]
History
A Twosome Place (투썸플레이스), 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.[4] Also in 2017, A Twosome Place signed a partnership with Singapore's TWG Tea, adding its products to its menu.[5] In 2018, the brand was spun off from CJ Foodville.[4] In 2021, it was acquired by the American private equity firm the Carlyle Group.[6][7] 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.[6] However, that year, it was forced to liquidate its Chinese subsidiary, A Twosome Shanghai.[8] By the end of 2023, the company operated more than 1,640 stores.[9] In 2025, the "Twosome 2.0" concept was created, distinguishing itself with a more luxurious design than other A Twosome Place locations.[10] The company runs its own research and development center,[3] and it has a proprietary mobile application, called Twosome Heart.[6][3]
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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ ""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.
- ^ 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.