Gwangju's First Alleyway diner shuts down after 12 years

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Tue, October 3, 2023 | 03:55

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Gwangju's First Alleyway diner shuts down after 12 years

Posted : 2021-08-24 19:00

Updated : 2021-08-24 21:41

Poster for The First Alleyway's "The Last Supper" on Aug. 28 / Courtesy of Jen Lee

By Jon Dunbar

The First Alleyway, a cornerstone of Gwangju's foreign community and foodie scene, is closing its doors after 12 years. "The main reason is burnout," owner Tim Whitman told The Korea Times.

"My cook and I have been going very hard at it for so many years ― my cook is burnt out too. And the pandemic has just made it so much harder; 18 months feels like five years. And of course the pandemic has been a slow, steady, financial bleed."

It's a great loss for the southwestern city, but it's hard to criticize Whitman's desire to bow out after so many years.

The Alleyway was originally founded in 2009 by Michael Simning, a beloved Gwangjuite who passed away from cancer in 2014. Simning and Whitman were business partners running the shop, Underground Grocers, together providing the city with food products imported from abroad.

"There was such a poor selection of foreign foods in Gwangju, and it was sold in such a mixed-up way ― one store to buy nacho chips, another for salsa (seriously)," Whitman said of those days.

As Underground Grocers kept growing, it had to move into bigger spaces. When it moved to its third location, Simning also opened the Alleyway. "Mike was quite a foodie and would experiment with lots of food ideas," Whitman said.

After Simning was diagnosed with cancer, Whitman took over the restaurant business.

The exterior of The First Alleyway in Gwangju / Courtesy of Ellis I. Lee

The First Alleyway gets its name because it is ― literally ― the first alleyway encountered when entering the Chungjangno area from the direction of the police office, a landmark in the area.

"Simple Western food and drinks served in a laid back atmosphere. Don't expect servers in silly hats and English nicknames singing Happy Birthday every five minutes." That's the motto of Alleyway, according to Whitman.

"Come relax, eat, play games, meet friends, drink," he added. "It was always viewed as a diner from our perspective. I think our biggest impact is creating a place where people could let their hair down, and not stress out about the language, or about breaking cultural norms."

The Alleyway's menu grew to quite a big size, and it has offered various foods, including: fish and chips, chicken wings, burgers, sandwiches, poutine, lasagna and pizza, "made the same as they did in Alberta, Canada," with their own in-house sauces, according to Whitman. They have also had buffet Thanksgiving and Christmas events, offering all-you-can-eat turkey dinners. They have also served brunch food and even Polish-inspired pierogies.

The Alleyway was also one of the first places in Gwangju offering craft beer, with Craftworks beer on tap right from the start, back in 2009. Nowadays they carry beers mainly from other domestic microbreweries like Magpie, Playground and Gorilla.

It's easy to see how this place became a staple of the local foreign national community, offering foods and drinks that remind quite a few customers of home.

"The community of Gwangju has always been pretty tight. People help out ― it was the community that helped to keep it going when Mike got sick," Whitman said. "But Gwangju, from the Korean side, is like that too. People help each other out."

And the Alleyway has found success with Koreans as well: Whitman estimates that 75 percent of customers in recent years are Korean nationals.

Whitman has been here since 1996, living in Gwangju the whole time, aside from a brief period in neighboring Hwasun County. He got a job at Chosun University in 2000, and he's been there ever since. "My wife is Korean from Gwangju, and I love my city," he said. "I live in an area that is relatively calm. I might eventually move out to Hwasun again. It was quieter and darker at night."

Whitman said that he has no plans to reopen the Alleyway or to start a new business for the next few years, especially as he expects to see several years of supply disruptions and inflated food ingredient prices.

"I will concentrate my energies on teaching and shedding the stress of the past couple years," he said. "I have enjoyed making a place for people to enjoy time with their friends over a good meal. I enjoyed talking to people from all walks of life, from around the world. And I enjoyed cooking brunch while we did that."

The First Alleyway is advertising its "Last Supper" event this Saturday. Visit The First Alleyway's Facebook page for more information.

jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr