KOREASCHOLAR

The purpose of this study was to investigate individuals' perceptions toward green tea and green tea cafes according to their usage of green tea cafes, gender, and marital status. The survey was conducted online and completed by 200 respondents who had been to green tea cafes and by 200 respondents who had not. The visitors of green tea cafes had more positive perceptions regarding the atmosphere, familiar taste, good quality of raw foods, freshness of foods, good service, excellent taste, and menu variety of green tea cafes. Males perceived green tea as 'good for health' more than the females. There was no difference in the perception of green tea cafes by marital status. Regarding a popularization plan for green tea cafes, the customers felt more need for a tea sommelier than the non-customers, and females versus males felt stronger about having a tea sommelier that would provide opportunities to taste various tea products and develop a green tea menu that considered nutrition and health. Unmarried respondents felt a greater necessity for having a place with a comfortable environment, tasting a variety of tea products, and having a chance to experience tea culture. When selecting a green tea cafe, the quality of the food and cleanliness of the cafe were considered to be most important. The implications of the data are discussed.

• 홍혜리 | Hong, Hye-Lee
• 서선희 | Seo, Sun-Hee