North Korea’s café, Future Reserve, which mimics Starbucks’ premium store concept, is reportedly offering a special beverage event. Customers can purchase a voucher for the popular character Labubu at a discounted price.
On November 30, Sally Yin, a marketing expert who travels between China and North Korea, shared a photo on her X (formerly Twitter) account, claiming it was taken at a North Korean café. She explained that previously, they held a blind box event for vouchers. Now, they’re running a promotion where customers can collect points to earn a Labubu figure. However, to get just one Labubu, you need to drink 100 cups of coffee and buy additional vouchers for 1 USD each.
The notice in the photo reads: Labubu vouchers for sale. We sell vouchers for 1 USD to coffee drinkers and 3 USD to non-drinkers. Once you collect 100 vouchers, you can exchange them for a Labubu. This means customers must consume 100 cups of coffee and spend an extra 100 USD to snag a Labubu figure.
Sally shares insights into North Korean life by reposting photos from Chinese graduate students studying there on social media. However, some skeptics have pointed out that the Korean language used in the notice sounds unnatural, raising suspicions of potential manipulation.
The café in question, Café Future Reserve, is located inside the Nangnang Patriotic Goldfish Pavilion. Its logo bears a striking resemblance to Starbucks Reserve, earning it the nickname Knockoff Starbucks. Interestingly, previous social media posts have revealed that a North Korean IKEA store also operates within the same building.