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Pup cups coming soon as regulatory sandbox allows cafes, restaurants to serve fresh drinks for dogs

Published: 30 May. 2025, 19:45

Starbucks Korea's pet friendly Bukhan River R branch in Namyangju, Gyeonggi [STARBUCKS KOREA]

“Can I get a pup cup, please?”

That order, once only heard overseas, is now becoming a reality in Korea. Pet-friendly cafes and restaurants will soon be able to serve freshly made beverages for dogs, thanks to a new regulatory sandbox approval.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Friday approved 66 projects under the industrial convergence regulatory sandbox program, including a pilot service allowing the on-site preparation and sale of pet food and drinks.

The sandbox system exempts or delays regulations that hinder launching innovative products or services.

SCK Company, the operator of Starbucks Korea, applied for the pilot to sell pet treats at its stores.

The service will allow cafes and restaurants that permit pets to prepare and sell pet-specific drinks, like whipped milk beverages, on-site.

While similar offerings such as the “Puppuccino” and “Pup Patty” are already available at chains like Starbucks and In-N-Out Burger in the United States, Korean law previously required pet food manufacturers to register as feed producers and operate facilities that meet livestock feed standards.

A visitor tries on pet apparel for their dogs at the 2025 K-Pet Fair, a pet industry exhibition held at Setec in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on March 16. [YONHAP]

Due to this regulation, businesses in Korea faced hurdles in preparing pet food or drinks on-site.

Starbucks plans to launch the pilot at two pet-friendly stores in Gyeonggi: the Bukhan River R branch in Namyangju and the Guri Galmae drive-thru location.

The company will use registered pet milk, whipped in a blender and served in disposable cups. Preparation tools and spaces will remain separate from those used for human food, in line with hygiene requirements.

“With this special exemption, we’re introducing a new service model that pets and their owners can enjoy together,” a Starbucks Korea official said. “We are still reviewing the timeline, product details and operation plan.”

Starbucks recently added “pet supplies and pet food manufacturing and sales” to its official business objectives.

The sandbox committee approved the service on the condition that participating stores display ingredient information and follow safety management guidelines.

“This is the first time a pilot has been approved for on-site pet food preparation and sales,” said Choi Hyun-jong, head of KCCI’s sandbox team. “Other companies using simple preparation methods now have a clearer path to market entry.”

A dog at the 2025 K-Pet Fair, a pet industry exhibition held at Setec in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on March 16. [YONHAP]

KCCI has previously supported sandbox approvals that span a pet’s life cycle — from birth, with facial recognition registration; diet, with pet-friendly restaurants; to health, with remote veterinary services; and end-of-life care, with mobile cremation and funeral services.

In the funeral services category, the committee also approved an additional pilot by Pet Heaven the Way, a provider of mobile pet cremation.

Under current law, only fixed cremation facilities are permitted. The special exemption allows a licensed pet undertaker to visit homes, conduct funeral services, and transport the remains to a vehicle equipped with a crematory. The ashes are then returned to the owner in an urn.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI SUN-EUL [[email protected]]