Places “for the gram”: Millennials, specialty coffee bars and the gentrification of commercial streets in Seoul

Abstract

Commercial gentrification in contemporary cities is fed by the Instagrammable nature of a growing number and variety of consumption spaces. A prominent example is the rise of specialty coffee bars (SCBs), with their offline spreading and the impact of online ‘clickable aesthetics’ via Instagram. In-depth interviews and Instagram go-alongs with 17 female millennials in Seoul revealed that SCBs are often visited for their Instagrammable aesthetics and less so for the quality of the coffee. Taking pictures in “photo zones” is typical behaviour in coffee bars, often imitating symbolic images of place as proof of a successful visit. Moreover, the intertwined online and offline popularity of SCBs spurs the gentrification of commercial streets in Seoul neighbourhoods. It generates a growing dominance of replicated coffee bars lacking authenticity and drawing gentrifying businesses together in Instagrammable clusters. SCBs going viral may eventually result in the experience of “placelessness”, not only for affected local residents but also for visiting gentrifiers. Self-critical gentrifiers often stop sharing geotags to avoid further commercial gentrification of neighbourhoods and streets.