Could be attributed largely to the coffee craze of

could be attributed largely to the coffee craze of that period,
questions remained as to how far into the future the company
would be able to maintain its current momentum of massive
store expansion. Given the dropping rate of growth, it was
predicted that the market would become much more competi-
tive. Caffé Bene stores were already overcrowded in major
cities; as such, it seemed wise for Caffé Bene to shift its focus
from growth to maintenance if it wanted to achieve long-term
sustainability.
EPILOGUE
Surveying the busy streets of Seoul through the heavy rain,
Kim was lost deep in thought. So far, all of his prophecies
had proven to be correct; he had succeeded in developing a
hugely successful coffee shop chain in a brutally competitive
and saturated market. Kim realized that he was now truly at
a crossroads. He would soon be making the major decisions
that would determine the future of Caffé Bene.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This case was developed as part of the Brain Korea (BK) 21
Research Project sponsored by the Ministry of Education,
Science, and Technology, South Korea.
REFERENCES
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2. Caffé Bene official website. .
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