Seoul's Cakes Draw a Line in Virginia: Twosome's First US Store Opens to Queues
The line formed before the doors opened and lasted until closing. Twosome Place has opened its first US store in Alexandria, Virginia.
A line from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Twosome opened its first US store on Oct. 17 (local time) at 404 King Street in Old Town Alexandria. People were queuing before the 7 a.m. opening, and the line continued until the store closed at 8 p.m.
Some customers came from New York and Baltimore, Maryland, just for the cakes.
What sold best on day one
Among desserts, the spoon-eating 'Abak' and 'Seu-cho-saeng' cakes led the way. The black sesame latte and the Dalgona cream top were the top drinks.
Twosome says many customers paired a drink with dessert. Deli items such as the Brioche K-Toast and the Seoul Spicy Chicken Panini also did well.
80-plus items, whole cakes without a pre-order
The store is about 73 pyeong with 78 seats including an outdoor terrace, run as an all-day cafe with some 80 items across desserts, coffee, drinks and deli.
Korean flavors run through the menu: black sesame and injeolmi cakes, even a 'Korean Apple Cinnamon Tea' inspired by sujeonggwa. Whole cakes can be bought in store with no pre-order.
Next stop: the D.C. area
CEO Moon Young-joo said the queue that lasted until closing showed "more interest than expected," and that Twosome will use local feedback to refine the store.
The US stores are run by a local entity, with more planned across the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area.
Try them in Seoul first
Twosome started in Seoul, and its signature cakes are on sale in its Korean stores.
The queue outside Twosome Place's first US store, opened Oct. 17. Photo: Twosome Place