[Desk Column] Should I Try Running a Cafe Too?

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] A cafe located by the North Han River. Inside the cafe building decorated with log walls, soft LP music flows out. For those sitting by the window seats where they can enjoy the sunset over the North Han River, daily life is peaceful. As they share leisurely time immersed in the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans, another day comes to an end.

For those who want to escape the reality worn out by competition and find a new life, there is a time when they think, "Maybe I should try running a cafe too." Especially for people in their 40s and 50s, the so-called "cafe syndrome (byeong)" comes like a cold.

Based on the self-justification that they have lived diligently so far and the self-hypnosis that they have now become indifferent to material desires, the desire to take action surges. When listening to songs that share the era while reminiscing youth with acquaintances who visit their own cafe, wouldn't they be immersed in happiness as if the world were all theirs?

The sunset scenery of Dumulmeori, where the Bukhan River and Namhan River unite as one

The so-called cafe syndrome emerged as a social interest dating back to the 2000s. It was around the time when the MBC drama "Coffee Prince 1st Shop" was popular. Coffee Prince, first aired in July 2007, was a drama starring Gong Yoo, Yoon Eun-hye, Lee Sun-kyun, and Chae Jung-an.

Gong Yoo (playing Choi Han-gyeol), a successor of a large corporation assigned the mission of managing a coffee shop. Yoon Eun-hye (playing Go Eun-chan), an employee with an "absolute sense of smell" for coffee aroma. Although they bickered, the story of the two realizing that it was a process where love seeped in was the source of the drama's popularity.

The sweet love story set in a cafe is an imagination only possible in dramas. The moment one tries to put cafe entrepreneurship into practice, they face the wall of reality. Before Coffee Prince gained popularity, in March 2005, Design House published a book titled "Shall We Try Running a Cafe?"

It is a startup guide written by four co-owner bosses who realized their dream of opening a cafe and documented what they learned over 37 months in practice. It contains realistic concerns ranging from cafe startup preparation, site selection, operational know-how, music selection tips, commercial area research, to promotion and marketing.

To conclude, running a cafe is by no means an easy task. In fact, if someone dreams of opening a cafe, those around them quickly discourage them by saying, "It's a perfect recipe for failure." Considering cafe rent, loan burdens, labor costs, and material costs, the realistic advice is that business failure is as obvious as seeing it.

An interesting point is that not only 15 years ago when Coffee Prince was popular but also now, when the burden of running a cafe has increased significantly due to COVID-19, there are still many who suffer from cafe syndrome. This may be related to the common denominator of loneliness among people in their 40s and 50s.

Is their loneliness a matter of personal emotion, or does it reflect a sad aspect of our society?

Why does the political sphere regard "a life with evenings" as the best election slogan? Because it gives the imagination that you too deserve to enjoy a peaceful daily life.

The imagination of "Maybe I should try running a cafe too" is the same. Regardless of feasibility, if it can be a refreshing agent that temporarily makes one forget the harsh reality, wouldn't that be the "endorphin of life"?

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