This study comparatively examines the development characteristics of the coffee industries in South Korea and China within the framework of industry life cycle theory by constructing a three-layer analytical model of development stage, market structure, and consumption behavior. Using government statistics and industry reports, the study identifies South Korea as having entered the mature stage, while China remains in the growth stage, based on per-capita consumption growth, store expansion, and changes in industry concentration. The findings show that the mature market is characterized by high-density competition, intensified brand stratification, and an efficiency-oriented logic, with consumption centered on social interaction, spatial experience, and value recognition. In contrast, the growth-stage market is driven by scale expansion, marked by strong price competition and accelerated digital penetration, and shows a shift toward functional daily consumption. Further analysis indicates that differences in life-cycle stages not only shape industrial growth dynamics, but also restructure corporate competition and consumer decision-making, resulting in stage-specific differences in profit logic and value distribution. The differences between South Korea and China are therefore not merely cultural, but structural outcomes produced by different life-cycle stages. From a stage-based perspective, this study deepens the understanding of the evolution of East Asian consumption-oriented service industries and provides a theoretical reference for China’s transition from scale expansion to efficiency optimization.