# Gangneung café with purple sweet potato sand: Gangneung Sand

- By Seulbi (https://superchart.com/en/@gangwon-mug-stop/)
- Written Sep 13, 2026
- Local places › Cafés › Gangneung, Gangwon
- Sponsored: This content was created with sponsorship for a store visit.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@gangwon-mug-stop/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@gangwon-mug-stop/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/index.md)

## In short

Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a café and dessert shop in Gangneung, Gangwon, selling sand cookies and Bangpaje Bbang. I chose one box each of purple sweet potato and Chodang corn sand cookies as family gifts, then split them half-and-half with my boyfriend while enjoying the fifth-floor observatory view. Verdict: a great stop when you want both the new purple sweet potato flavor and Chodang corn cream.

## Good to know

- **Hours**: 09:30–19:00
- **Last order**: 18:30
- **Address**: 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beonan-gil, 1st–3rd floors, Gangneung-si, Gangwon State, South Korea
- **Sales format**: Box sales only; mixed boxes and individual purchases unavailable
- **Flavors**: 6 total
- **Storage**: 14 days at room temperature, 30 days refrigerated, 90 days frozen
- **Parking**: Large parking lot

*as written by the visitor on Sep 13, 2026*

When you think of Gangneung, you think of Gangneung Sand, right? This trip was pretty long, so I was wondering what to bring back as gifts for my family, and I chose Gangneung Sand before heading over to Samcheok!

![Gangneung Sand chosen as family gifts](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-01-1rr31-1200.webp)

## Gangneung Sand Main Branch location and parking

Gangneung Sand Main Branch is open from 9:30 AM to 7 PM, with last orders at 6:30 PM.

Gangneung Sand Main Branch is at 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beonan-gil. We drove, but I saw people arriving by taxi too. It is near Ojukheon, so when planning your route, I think you could go Ojukheon → Gangneung Sand Main Branch.

![Gangneung Sand Main Branch location near Ojukheon](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-02-3i1l4-900.webp)

The parking lot was quite large, you know? So we parked and went straight in.

![Large parking lot at Gangneung Sand Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-03-2ehn6-900.webp)

Isn't it really big, as you would expect from the main branch? There are Gangneung Sand stores at the main branch, Branch 1, Branch 2, and Branch 3. The main branch is at 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beonan-gil; Branch 1 is the Wolhwa branch at 6 Geumseong-ro 12beon-gil; Branch 2 is the Chodang branch at 2494 Nanseolheon-ro; and Branch 3 is the Cookie Lab at 23 Namgu-gil 30beon-gil.

![Exterior of Gangneung Sand Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-04-1kr05-900.webp)

The shop is on the second floor! The fifth floor is an observatory, so it is nice to pick up your order on the second floor and then check out the fifth-floor observatory. There is an elevator, so it is easy to go back and forth.

![Directions for the second-floor shop and fifth-floor observatory](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-05-1hd4n-900.webp)

## Looking around at sand cookies and Bangpaje Bbang

I always used to buy only the sand cookies, but they also had Bangpaje Bbang (breakwater-shaped bread).

![Bangpaje Bbang at Gangneung Sand](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-06-111a3-900.webp)

![Gangneung Sand cookies and Bangpaje Bbang on display](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-07-10r2e-900.webp)

The product design is patented, so the ones with “Gangneung Sand” stamped right on them are from Gangneung Sand Main Branch. Gangneung Sand has won various contests, and since it can be kept at room temperature and is supposedly even better frozen, I should try eating it frozen too.

![Product with the Gangneung Sand letter design](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-08-17lac-900.webp)

They can ship it too, and there is also an experience and event zone. I think it would be fun to take part.

![Gangneung Sand experience and event zone](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-09-1fxxx-900.webp)

The Bangpaje Bbang was so cute too, but there was not enough room in my suitcase, so this time it was Gangneung Sand only!

![Choosing Gangneung Sand to pack in a suitcase](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-10-a4qq3-900.webp)

## Choosing purple sweet potato and Chodang corn sand cookies

There are six flavors in total. Since Gangneung means coffee and Chodang corn, I was going to choose those two, but purple sweet potato was apparently a hot new flavor, so I got one box of purple sweet potato and one box of Chodang corn. I chose different flavors so my boyfriend and I could open them and split them half-and-half.

![Boxes of purple sweet potato and Chodang corn sand cookies](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-11-18ykp-900.webp)

Mixed boxes and individual purchases are a no ❌️ They sell by the box, so if you want to take half-and-half like my boyfriend and I did, just pick them up, open the boxes, and divide them! There is a sticker on them, but a quick little slice with a knife opens them easily, which was nice.

![Box packaging with a sticker for separating the box](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-12-1wp78-900.webp)

### How to store the sand cookies

For storage: 14 days at room temperature, 30 days refrigerated, and up to 90 days frozen! They recommended eating them frozen, so I am planning to freeze them and try them once I get home. I feel like Gangneung Sand led to all sorts of regional sand cookies, but the main branch tastes a little different. The first thing I noticed as soon as I got out of the car was the rich, fragrant buttery smell, like it was wrapping around the whole shop.

![Gangneung Sand shop filled with a buttery aroma](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-13-hk55m-900.webp)

## The sky from the fifth-floor observatory

Seeing the wide-open sky from the fifth-floor observatory made it even better. Be careful when the weather is bad. It really is fairly high up, so I think it is best to be cautious at the observatory if it is very windy or raining. The weather was good when we went, so getting that open view made it even nicer.

> Gangneung Sand Main Branch review

![Gangneung Sand Main Branch review products](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-14-mwjwn-900.webp)

## Flavor labels on the packaging and the cream filling

The products at Gangneung Sand Main Branch have “Gangneung Sand” stamped right on them, which makes them so nice for gifts. The ones stamped like this are from Gangneung Sand Main Branch! Branches 1 through 3 also have “Gangneung Sand” stamped on them.

![Sand cookie wrappers with flavor stickers](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-15-1amx7-900.webp)

Each flavor has a sticker on it, but when you split them up and swap some, you might wonder, “How will I know which flavor is which?” There is no need to worry, because...

![Packaging with flavor color markers](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-16-1b6oq-900.webp)

Each wrapper is marked on top in the color for that flavor. At a glance,

![Chodang corn and purple sweet potato color markers](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-17-1ie2g-900.webp)

yellow → Chodang corn, purple → purple sweet potato, so they were easy to identify! It is written on every side, so you can choose the flavor you want without worrying.

![Individually wrapped purple sweet potato and Chodang corn sand cookies](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-18-q2w7e-900.webp)

We divided them up and tried one at a time, and they were packed full of purple sweet potato cream and Chodang corn cream.

![Chodang corn sand cookie filled with cream](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand/gangneung-purple-sweet-potato-sand-19-d6ofy-900.webp)

The Chodang corn especially had actual kernels in it, so the texture was even better.

## Where it is

- Gangneung Sand Main Branch (강릉샌드 본점) (강릉샌드 본점)
- 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beonan-gil, 1st–3rd floors, Gangneung-si, Gangwon State, South Korea
- 강원특별자치도 강릉시 성곡고양길5번안길 31 1층~3층
- 37.7775285, 128.8901364
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EA%B0%95%EB%A6%89%EC%83%8C%EB%93%9C%20%EB%B3%B8%EC%A0%90/@37.7775285,128.8901364,17z

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