How Manabeans Café Makes Money: Coffee or Lifestyle?

On a bustling Saturday afternoon in Tianhebei, Guangzhou, families sit around large tables inside Manabeans Café, chatting leisurely or sipping drinks with muffins—scenes rarely seen in Starbucks, Pacific Coffee, or COSTA. This Korean-founded coffee brand has built a following not through speed or corporate branding, but by offering a space where people want to stay.

The short answer? Manabeans Café’s 36 stores are all profitable. Half repay their initial US$280,000 investment within one year, the rest within two. Success comes from selling more than coffee: it’s about a curated environment and higher-margin food.

What Makes Manabeans Different From Starbucks?

Manabeans Café didn’t start as a coffee chain. Founder Shin Ja-sang previously ran a Korean restaurant in Beijing called ‘Love Mountain.’ His pivot came after a visit to Shanghai’s UBC Coffee, where spacious seating and casual activities like card games made him rethink the coffee shop’s role. He saw that the market lacked places for lingering conversations—not just caffeine fixes.

By the time he opened the first Manabeans in Beijing two years later, he had studied countless cafés. His concept? A “natural and romantic” vibe, executed through unexpected design choices: real trees indoors, red brick walls, and a mix of furniture including foldable wooden chairs, high-backed French armchairs, Western-style soft chairs, and log bar stools. The goal wasn’t coherence but a curated sense of “natural.”

Why Size and Seating Matter

Most Manabeans locations span 400–500 square feet—far larger than standard coffee shops. Unlike Starbucks, where tables fit three at most, Manabeans offers tables as big as a single bed, accommodating entire families. This isn’t accidental. The brand targets a broader demographic, including elderly customers and children, who rarely frequent traditional coffee chains.

The café also breaks the usual service script. Instead of standing in line to order, customers get a stuffed bear to mark their seat while they wait. Food is prepared on-site—including muffins and sandwiches—rather than reheated from factories. This focus on freshness and experience justifies premium pricing.

How Manabeans Keeps Stores Profitable

Every Manabeans store requires an upfront investment of around US$280,000. Yet half of them recoup this within a year, and the rest within two. Part of the formula is pricing: while coffee prices match Starbucks, add-ons like a US$5 chocolate muffin or a US$4.5 sandwich boost the average spend. The broader appeal—families, not just office workers—also drives traffic, especially on weekends.

The brand’s growth strategy relies on a hybrid model: 25–35% ownership by Manabeans, with 65–75% held by local partners. These partners often come from real estate, retail, or logistics, helping secure prime locations without corporate backing. Despite rapid expansion—over 60 stores in planning or operation—Shin insists on maintaining quality control through equity stakes and shared standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Manabeans Café stores are currently profitable?

As of the report, all 36 operating Manabeans Café stores are profitable. The brand also has over 60 locations in planning or under construction.

What is the typical investment to open a Manabeans Café?

Each Manabeans Café store requires an initial investment of approximately US$280,000 (2 million RMB).

How quickly do Manabeans Café stores break even?

Half of the stores repay their initial investment within one year, while the remaining stores achieve profitability within two years.

What kind of food does Manabeans Café sell, and at what price?

Manabeans Café sells items like sandwiches for around US$4.5 (35 RMB) and chocolate muffins for about US$5 (38 RMB), contributing to a higher average transaction value.

How does Manabeans Café differ from Starbucks in customer experience?

Manabeans Café offers larger seating areas, in-store food preparation, a relaxed atmosphere with home-like furniture, and a service process where customers receive a stuffed bear while waiting, unlike Starbucks’ order-and-wait model.

What is the expansion strategy for Manabeans Café?

Manabeans Café aims to expand to over 200 locations in tier-one and tier-two cities within two years, using a hybrid model of company-owned and partner-operated stores.

Industry Viewpoint: The Era of Coffee Segmentation

Coffee culture has long followed divergent paths: the European emphasis on individuality and quality versus the American focus on speed and convenience, as exemplified by Starbucks. But as digital life accelerates, consumers are rediscovering slower, experiential moments—even in coffee. This has triggered a “second transformation” in how cafés operate.

According to Li Weihua, a leading expert in franchising, the industry now categorizes models as either “small coffee” (like Starbucks, focusing mainly on coffee) or “big coffee” (offering coffee plus food and broader services, like UBC Coffee). Manabeans Café falls into the latter category, thriving by offering an environment suited to family and leisure needs—a segment increasingly relevant as coffee consumption becomes more segmented.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Café Ambiance

For cafés like Manabeans that focus on linger-longer environments, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Huakui – a bright Ethiopian single origin with notes of jasmine and citrus, perfect for pour-over service. Pair it with the Brazil Queen Manor, a smooth medium roast with peanut butter and caramel tones ideal for milk drinks. Both beans highlight craftsmanship and align with a lifestyle-focused coffee menu. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.