Single origin coffee and dual distinction: coffee shops in contemporary South Korea

This chapter examines the intersection of language and coffee shops in Seoul, South Korea. Drawing on Bourdieu's notion of distinction, it explores how English and Korean are deployed on signage in specialty coffee shops there. The study identifies the premium that English provides in terms of price, and discusses various ways that English-only coffee shops differentiate themselves from other specialty coffee shops. The data include photographs of the menus, exteriors, and interiors of 89 outlets in the Seungsu-dong area of the city. The chapter argues that the English-only premises function as a site of dual distinction whereby customers can signal their cosmopolitan identity via identification with two traditional markers of distinction in Korea: English and coffee. Implications and potential avenues for further research are also discussed.