VIDEO Korean fans throw parties for idols who never come. Cafe owners love it
Summary
More than 100 people gathered at a cafe in Seoul’s Hongdae area on Sept. 12 to celebrate Stray Kids member Felix’s birthday. The event was a birthday cafe, where fans rent venues, decorate them and attract customers without expecting the idol to attend. The model has become a lifeline for struggling cafes, while attracting fans of different ages and providing community and stress relief.
Key Facts
- Hongdae hosts nearly 100 birthday cafes each week, including events for animated characters and virtual YouTubers.
- Felix’s organizers guaranteed 350 drinks over four days at about $5.50 each, while covering decoration and gift costs themselves.
- The cafe owner expected about 30 visitors on opening day, but more than 100 attended.
- South Korea had 107,055 cafes in 2024, and the total fell for the first time in early 2025 as profits came under strain.
- Choi I-su’s organizing team included people ranging from a middle schooler to Choi, who is 44 and has worked as a nail artist for 24 years.
More than 100 people filed into a small cafe in Seoul's Hongdae area on Sept. 12 to celebrate the birthday of Felix, a member of K-pop group Stray Kids. Felix was not there. No one expected him to be.
The event, known in Korea as a birthday cafe, is far from rare. In Hongdae alone, nearly 100 happen every week. Not all of them are for idols. During our visit, cafes across the neighborhood were also celebrating animated characters and virtual YouTubers.
For Korea's coffee shops, the trend has become a lifeline. The country had 107,055 cafes in 2024, and the number fell for the first time in early 2025 as profits came under strain. In a market that crowded, a fan event guarantees what owners struggle to buy: customers.
The math
The arrangement is simple. Fans rent an ordinary cafe for several days and promise the owner a minimum number of sales. Felix's organizers committed to 350 drinks over four days, at about $5.50 each.
"The owner takes everything from the drinks," said Choi I-su, 44, one of five fans behind the event. The organizers pay for decorations and free gifts themselves. Their only income comes from a $1.50 lucky draw, and they plan to donate whatever is left in Felix's name.
For the owner, the bet paid off quickly. Choi had expected about 30 visitors on opening day. More than 100 came.
Some owners have taken the model further. Many event cafes in Hongdae no longer serve regular customers at all. They open only when fans rent them.
Not just for the young
Birthday cafes began with young fans, but they no longer belong only to them. Choi's team, which met on X (formerly Twitter) ranges from a middle schooler to Choi, the eldest. A professional calligrapher did the lettering, a photographer shot the images and Choi, a nail artist for 24 years, offered visitors nail art featuring Felix's face.
When she worried she was too old to join, the others waved it off. "They told me, 'Age doesn't matter when you're a fan,'" she said.
For some adult fans, the reward is a sense of purpose that work doesn't always provide. "This is the first time I've ever liked an idol. Before that, I don't know how I lived just working," said a visitor to the cafe, while receiving a Felix nail art service from Choi. "Watching his videos relieves my stress." The two swapped social media accounts before she left.
Want to see the rest of their day? Watch the full video here.
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