Dongsuh Food

What Dongsuh Food does

Dongsuh Food Corporation (동서식품 주식회사) is a South Korean packaged food and beverage manufacturer founded in 1968 and operating as a subsidiary of the publicly listed Dongsuh Co., Ltd. The company manufactures and distributes coffee, cereals, tea, snacks, and dairy products across an 18-brand portfolio spanning owned brands (Maxim, Kanu, Maxwell House, Post, Dongsuh Green Tea, Tarra, Tio, Hojitea, Frima, Jeti, Mitte, Asahi Kombucha) and licensed international brands (Starbucks RTD, Oreo, Ritz, Philadelphia). Its flagship Maxim instant coffee brand has held No. 1 market share in Korea since 1980, with the Maxim Mocha Gold line alone selling 5.3 billion coffee mix sticks annually — equivalent to 170 sticks per second.

Dongsuh operates two manufacturing facilities (Bupyeong in Incheon and Jincheon in Chungcheongbuk-do), a Seoul headquarters office, and sells products through supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, and traditional retailers across South Korea. The company's revenue streams derive from one-time sales of consumer packaged goods under both owned and licensed brand rights, plus capsule coffee machine hardware sales through the Kanu Barista system. Proprietary processing capabilities include TTPR (Time Temperature Profile Roasting) for the Maxim Signature whole bean line and Aroma Recovery Technology for Maxim Mocha Gold instant coffee. HACCP food safety systems have been applied across all products since 1995, predating Korean regulatory mandate, and the company has held Consumer-Centered Management (CCM) certification from the Korea Fair Trade Commission in 2021 and 2023.

Dongsuh Foods serves the broad Korean consumer market with a horizontal segmentation approach targeting general households, working professionals, and students. Go-to-market relies on traditional retail distribution complemented by direct brand engagement through pop-up cafes in major cities (Busan, Jeonju, Gunsan, Gyeongju), an online Coffee Class education platform, a quarterly Saengil Hyanggi webzine, and CSR programs including the Saengil Hyanggi Dongsuh Literary Award (Korea's largest women's literary award with 18,000+ annual entries) and the Maxim Coffee Cup Baduk Championship. The company's 348-CCTV-monitored infrastructure spans factories, research centers, sales offices, and logistics centers. Operating geography is Korea-only, with limited outbound export of Frima coffee creamer to the US, Australia, and Japan.

Name

Dongsuh Food

Legal name

동서식품 주식회사

Website

https://dongsuh.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Dongsuh Food is a 1968-founded South Korean packaged food and beverage manufacturer (subsidiary of listed Dongsuh Co., Ltd.) producing coffee, cereals, tea, snacks, and dairy under 18 owned and licensed brands including the No. 1 Korean coffee brand Maxim.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food and Beverage Manufacturing

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing (AFAFADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Beverage Wholesale (AFAIAGAD)

Keywords

• Instant coffee manufacturing
• Coffee mix products
• Breakfast cereals
• Food and beverage distribution
• Licensed brand products

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheongcheon

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coffee Product Sales: Revenue from selling instant coffee, coffee mixes, whole bean coffee, and capsule coffee products under brands including Maxim, Maxwell House, and Kanu
2. Capsule Coffee Machine Sales: Revenue from Kanu Barista capsule coffee machine sales, where the company sells compatible capsule coffee products
3. Licensed Brand Products: Revenue from licensed products including Starbucks RTD beverages, Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers, Philadelphia cream cheese, and other international brands distributed in South Korea
4. Food & Beverage Products: Revenue from breakfast cereals (Post), tea products, confectionery including Jetti chocolate milk and Mitte hot chocolate, honey, and kombucha beverages

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dongsuh Food manufactures and distributes a diversified portfolio of food and beverage products in South Korea, anchored by its flagship Maxim instant coffee brand (Korea's No. 1 market share coffee brand since 1980). The company produces instant coffee, coffee mixes, capsule coffee systems, whole bean coffee, breakfast cereals, teas, confectionery, and dairy products under owned brands (Maxim, Kanu, Post, Frima, Tarra, Tio) and licensed international brands (Starbucks RTD, Oreo, Ritz, Philadelphia).

Product overview

Dongsuh Foods operates as a diversified food and beverage company with a broad portfolio spanning coffee, tea, cereals, snacks, and dairy products. The core offering centers on Maxim coffee brands, including instant coffee, coffee mixes, and whole bean coffee. Key sub-brands include Kanu (instant whole bean coffee), Maxim T.O.P. (espresso products), Maxwell House (global heritage brand), and Kanu Barista (capsule coffee system). Licensed brands include Starbucks RTD beverages, Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers, and Philadelphia cream cheese. Tea offerings include Dongsuh Green Tea, Tarra black tea, Tio iced tea, and Asahi Kombucha. Non-coffee beverages include Mitte hot chocolate, Jeti chocolate milk drink, and Hojitea roasted green tea. The company also distributes Post cereals. The portfolio is organized around major brand families, with Maxim serving as the flagship coffee brand with the highest market share in Korea.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 맥심 (Maxim): Dongsuh Foods' flagship coffee brand, launched in 1980; No. 1 market share coffee brand in Korea; includes Maxim Mocha Gold, Maxim T.O.P., and Maxim Signature whole bean coffee lines.
• 카누 (Kanu)
• 맥스웰하우스 (Maxwell House)
• 포스트 (Post)
• 동서벌꿀 (Dongsuh Honey)
• 애사비 콤부차 (Assabi Kombucha)
• 동서 마음우린 호지차 (Dongsuh Majumurin Hojitea)

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.3 billion coffee mix sticks sold (170 sticks per second)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• OK CashbagminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 December 2026Point accumulation partnership program. Dongsuh Foods products including Maxim coffee mix, Maxim whole bean, Kanu, Post cereals, and green tea products were eligible for OK Cashbag point accumulation. Partnership ending December 31, 2026.
• Korea Baduk AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for organizing the Maxim Coffee Cup Ibsin Chessungjeon Baduk Championship, Korea's premier professional Go tournament sponsored by Dongsuh Foods.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lotte Chilsung Beverage: Korea's largest non-alcoholic beverage company (Coca-Cola bottler, Pepsi, water, tea, juice). Overlaps directly with Dongsuh in coffee (Cantata), tea, and RTD categories across the same Korean retail channels.
• Ottogi: One of Korea's largest packaged food manufacturers spanning sauces, noodles, ready meals, and beverages. Comparable diversified CPG peer serving the same Korean supermarket and convenience store channels.
• Nongshim: Korea's leading instant noodle maker that has expanded into beverages and snacks. Comparable as a Korean packaged-food peer with national retail distribution and brand-led marketing.
• Pulmuone: Leading Korean food company with broad portfolio across beverages, dairy alternatives, tofu, and packaged foods. Direct comparable as a diversified Korean CPG manufacturer operating through mass retail.
• Namyang Dairy Products: Major Korean dairy and beverage manufacturer with extensive instant coffee, RTD coffee, and tea portfolios. Direct competitor in Korean retail with comparable scale and channel presence.
• Maeil Dairies: Korea's largest dairy product company with growing coffee and RTD beverage exposure. Comparable in scale, channel footprint, and category overlap (milk-based beverages, creamers, RTD coffee).
• Dongwon F&B: Diversified Korean food and beverage manufacturer with canned seafood, meat, and beverage lines. Comparable Korean CPG peer with similar retail-channel strategy.

Broad incumbents

• CJ CheilJedang: Korea's largest food company with global operations spanning processed foods, sauces, and beverages (including coffee brands). A much larger incumbent with overlapping categories but broader geographic footprint.
• Nestlé Korea: Korean subsidiary of the global F&B giant and owner of Nescafé and Starbucks CPG. Direct coffee competitor to Maxim with superior scale, R&D, and global supply, but operating only as a regional arm.

Others

• Kraft Heinz: Global packaged-food conglomerate that licenses Oreo, Ritz, and Philadelphia to Dongsuh for the Korean market. Not a direct competitor in Korea, but a critical counterparty whose licensing strategy materially shapes Dongsuh's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dongsuh Food