Celebrities who tried opening cafes in Korea say 'think twice'

Korea may look like a cafe lover's paradise, with coffee shops seemingly around every corner. But celebrities who have actually tried running one have a surprisingly sobering message for aspiring owners: Think twice.

Singer and rapper Hanhae recently shared his own costly experience in the cafe business, while K-pop icon Lee Hyo-ri revealed that even the wildly popular Jeju cafe run by her husband, musician Lee Sang-soon, did not make as much money as its long lines might have suggested.

The two discussed the realities of running a cafe on the Monday episode of JTBC's relationship reality show "Love War," after a woman featured on the program said she dreamed of opening one.

Hanhae immediately tried to talk her out of it.

"I've actually failed at running a cafe before, so this doesn't feel like someone else's problem," he said.

Hanhae said he opened a small cafe in Seoul's Sangam-dong several years ago, selling yogurt and coffee. But competing on price proved difficult when a major franchise nearby was selling coffee for as little as 900 won ($0.64) per cup.

He said the reality was a far cry from the image many people associate with owning a cafe.

"Cafes seem romantic, don't they? The coffee smells good, and when it's not busy, you imagine reading a book and enjoying yourself," he said. "But once it's your business and the rent starts going out, it's really hell."

Hanhae said he operated the cafe for roughly two years, but felt that only the first six months counted as actually running the business.

"I spent the next year and a half just hanging on," he said.

The financial damage was substantial. Hanhae said he lost between 150 million and 200 million won before eventually shutting the business down.

"Whatever else you do, don't open a cafe," he said.

Lee then offered an example suggesting that even celebrity fame and crowds of customers are no guarantee of big profits.

"My husband had a cafe, too," she said. "People would line up for hundreds of meters and it was crazy, but even then, he didn't make that much money."

"Cafes really are risky," she added.

Lee's husband opened the cafe Longplay on Jeju in July 2022. It immediately drew crowds, with reports at the time saying lines stretched as long as 100 meters. The overwhelming interest prompted the cafe to temporarily halt operations just two days after opening and later switch to a reservation system.

Longplay ultimately closed on May 31, 2024, after nearly two years in business.

Lee Sang-soon said at the time that business had not been bad and explained that the cafe was closing because its lease had ended and the building owner planned to use the property for something else.

This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.