Restaurants with Lights Off, Gyms Closed, Empty Cafes... Self-Employed Suffering During the COVID-19 Hardship

Following Quarantine Guidelines to Prevent COVID-19 Spread but Facing Growing Sales Losses
"Support Livelihoods Especially in Hard-Hit Sectors," Self-Employed Appeal... Job Measures Needed
Cafe Franchise Owners Cite Fairness Issues as Crowds Flock to Independent Stores and Bakeries

As the "Social Distancing Level 2.5" to block the resurgence of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is implemented, on the 31st, only take-out orders are seen at a franchise coffee shop in Jung-gu, Seoul, with seats removed. According to the strengthened distancing guidelines, franchise coffee shops will only be allowed to accept take-out and delivery orders regardless of business hours until midnight on the 6th of next month. In addition, general restaurants, rest area eateries, and bakeries in the metropolitan area will only be allowed to accept take-out and delivery orders from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Seon-ae and Choi Sae-hye] At 10 p.m. on the 30th, there were no customers at any of the 20 tables in a 24-hour haejangguk (hangover soup) restaurant in Jongno. The owner, Mr. Lee, said, "Around 8:30 p.m., I asked all the customers to finish up before 9 p.m.," adding, "Since it is an important time to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), we plan to strictly follow the quarantine guidelines, but honestly, it is very bleak because we have to give up the night and early morning business hours that usually bring good sales," sighing deeply.

On the 30th, when the social distancing 'quasi-level 3 (level 2.5)' was implemented, major commercial districts in Seoul were quiet and gloomy. There were no signs of customers at restaurants with restricted nighttime operations, and many places had their lights turned off early. Facilities that were completely prohibited from operating, such as gyms, billiard halls, and golf practice ranges, had notices on their closed doors announcing business suspension. Cafes that had removed tables and chairs were only serving occasional takeout customers.

A restaurant located in Songpa-gu closed early at 10 p.m. on the 30th.

Prioritizing Quarantine but Livelihoods Bleak... Employees on Unpaid Leave

From the first day of strengthened quarantine measures in the metropolitan area, self-employed business owners were deeply worried. Restaurants around Daehangno had a very gloomy atmosphere. Despite it being weekend lunchtime, there was no sign of customers, and as it got darker, restaurant owners with no work stared blankly at the TV. Mr. Kim, the owner of a pub in Daehangno, said, "Usually, there are no empty tables on weekend nights, but since COVID-19 started, even 50% occupancy has not been reached," adding, "Recently, as confirmed cases in the metropolitan area increased, we could only serve 2 to 3 tables at most, but now we have to give up night and early morning operations for the time being, so it feels hopeless." He continued, "We are considering delivery services, but honestly, sales are not good. I am worried about how to pay the rent, but closing temporarily might be better for mental and physical stability," he added.

Billiard halls, table tennis halls, study cafes, karaoke rooms, and golf practice ranges near Daehangno and Jongno were all closed. Notices stating that business was suspended until September 6 due to gathering bans were posted on all closed doors. Mr. Park, who runs a gym in Daehangno, said, "The immediate losses from business suspension are bearable, but the future is the problem," adding, "If COVID-19 is not completely controlled, we can no longer expect to attract new members, so the damage will inevitably increase."

Mr. Lee, the owner of a nearby golf practice range, said, "Although the sales decline is bleak, I believe public safety is more important than economic damage, so I will follow the quarantine guidelines well," emphasizing, "I hope there are no places trying to operate sneakily without getting caught, and the best thing is for everyone to follow the rules so we can overcome this quickly. I just hope the government’s livelihood support for the hardest-hit industries comes soon."

Jobs were disappearing rapidly. Mr. Park, who runs a pub near Konkuk University Station, said, "I let go of two employees in the first half of the year, and recently I asked two others to take unpaid leave for a week," sighing, "I know this is not right, but there is no sharp solution in a situation where it is difficult to pay salaries."

On the afternoon of the 30th, at a Starbucks located in Songpa-gu, customers are lining up according to the staff's guidance to purchase takeout-only coffee.

Unable to Sit in Cafes, Bakeries Crowded... Complaints over 'Fairness' Controversy

Cafes across Seoul were generally quiet. At 5 p.m. that day, among coffee franchise specialty stores located in the Songpa Seokchon Lake cafe street, including Starbucks, Twosome Place, Coffee Bean, Angel-in-us, and Ediya, Starbucks was the only one with customers coming and going.

Upon entering the Starbucks store, staff guided customers to register their names via QR code at the entrance. Then, after temperature checks and hand sanitization, customers lined up in a row to purchase drinks at the counter. All seats inside the hall were pushed to one side, and customers waited for their drinks while maintaining a certain distance from each other.

Twosome Place, Coffee Bean, Angel-in-us, Ediya, and Pascucci also removed seats and waited for takeout customers, but there were hardly any customers coming and going. Angel-in-us even separated all parking spaces with lines to prevent customers from staying for long periods. An employee of a franchise coffee shop said, "Starbucks has so many fans that there is a takeout line, but franchises including us, Twosome, and Coffee Bean have almost no takeout customers, which is surprising."

A self-employed person operating Hollys in the metropolitan area said, "Honestly, I would rather close the store and live as unemployed at home during the eight days of social distancing level 2.5," sighing, "Since COVID-19, rent, labor costs, and discarded materials have all been very difficult."

As the "Social Distancing Level 2.5" to prevent the resurgence of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is implemented, on the 31st, a franchise coffee shop in Jung-gu, Seoul, shows only takeout customers with chairs placed on tables. According to the strengthened distancing guidelines, franchise coffee shops will only be allowed to accept takeout and delivery orders regardless of business hours until midnight on the 6th of next month. Additionally, general restaurants, rest area eateries, and bakeries in the metropolitan area will only be allowed to accept takeout and delivery orders from 9 PM to 5 AM the next day. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the other hand, individual coffee shops, bakeries, and franchise-type casual dining restaurants that are not subject to social distancing level 2.5 saw crowds, creating a contrasting situation. Most individual coffee shops near Seokchon Lake had more than half of their tables filled with customers. Although the stores were quite large, they continued operating because they were not franchise coffee shops.

Bakeries such as Tous Les Jours were also crowded with customers enjoying beverages along with baked goods. Ice cream shops like Baskin Robbins and Sulbing were also packed. Since they are registered as casual dining restaurants rather than coffee shops, franchise stores were allowed to operate.

This sparked controversy over fairness. Mr. Kim, who operates a small franchise coffee shop, said, "We have been running at a loss every month, but because we are a franchise, we are not allowed to operate the hall, while two nearby individual cafes, even larger than our store, are thriving because they are individual stores," criticizing, "I don’t understand why there is a distinction between franchises and individual stores to prevent the spread of COVID-19."

There were also concerns about insufficient adherence to quarantine rules at operating coffee shops and bakeries. A housewife, Ms. Han, said, "When I visited a cafe-style bakery, neither seat distancing nor mask-wearing was observed," adding, "I think stricter quarantine-related recommendations should be made for individual stores as well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.