EXID's HYELIN earns 140 million won monthly with taco business

HYELIN, a former member of the group EXID, has earned a new title as an 'idol-turned-CEO' by running a specialized taco restaurant in Anguk, Seoul. As news spread that her monthly average sales reach 140 million won, with approximately 40 million won remaining after expenses, she has drawn attention as a successful entrepreneur. However, following HYELIN's own story reveals that behind these numbers lie realistic concerns regarding the irregular income of celebrities and the time she spent building her own foundation for survival.

Appearing on singer Cao Lu's YouTube channel 'Chaorum' on the 19th, HYELIN revealed that she is currently balancing the operation of her taco shop with various other activities, including musicals, DJing, and composing. Introducing herself as an 'N-jobber' (a person holding multiple jobs), she said, "I am a taco shop owner, I do musicals, I am a DJ, and I am also making songs."

Rather than simply quitting her singing career to transition into the food industry, she has expanded her field of activity by operating multiple professions simultaneously. The taco shop operated by HYELIN is located in Anguk, Seoul. Since opening last March, there have been fluctuations between high-revenue months and slower months, but HYELIN previously disclosed that her monthly average sales are approximately 140 million won, leaving about 40 million won after various expenses. However, as these are figures HYELIN shared regarding her own establishment, it is more appropriate to view them as her explained average management performance rather than a fixed monthly income.

While the numbers represent significant achievement, what HYELIN emphasized was instead the issues occurring 'after the sales.' She expressed the weight of self-employment, noting that while an employee can quit, if the owner quits, the shop has no choice but to close, and she confessed that it is realistically difficult for her, as an N-jobber, to handle the store operations alone. Consequently, she explained that there is someone else in charge of managing the store, and that the unity of her employees, who actively provide opinions and ideas on-site, serves as a great source of strength.

HYELIN's motivation for jumping into the food industry is far from a simple investment or a business expansion utilizing her fame. She explained that she had always been interested in the food industry, and through gatherings with acquaintances, she met the CEO of a taco restaurant she frequently visited. Upon receiving a proposal that a good location had become available in Anguk, Seoul, she decided to start the business together. This was a case where her interests, personal network, and judgment of the commercial district converged to lead to entrepreneurship.

The structural instability of being a celebrity also plays a role in this background. HYELIN previously explained on a broadcast that because there are specific seasons for activities and it is not a profession where one can always work just because they want to, income is also not regular. She became interested in the food industry while contemplating ways to maintain a stable life.

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have been the catalyst that made those concerns more concrete. As performances and broadcast activities decreased, HYELIN took time to rethink her life and future direction, even seeking part-time jobs herself to bring change to her daily routine. This highlights how 'break times' for celebrities with no scheduled activities can be a void where they must simultaneously worry about both their livelihood and their career path.

Looking back at HYELIN's past, her current choice in business is not particularly unexpected. EXID debuted in 2012, but they were not a top-tier group from the very beginning. The group's fate flipped when 'Up & Down,' released in 2014, saw a reverse climb in popularity due to viral fancams. They subsequently established themselves as one of the representative girl groups of the 2010s through activities such as 'Ah Yeah' and 'HOT PINK.'

However, HYELIN recalled on this broadcast, "We were also unemployed before 'Up & Down' became a hit." While the name EXID remains a symbol of brilliant success to the public, there was a time before that when they had to work various part-time jobs to make ends meet. This statement carries weight, as even after reaching stardom, the income structure for celebrities is not as stable as that of ordinary office workers.

HYELIN's explanation regarding past earnings follows a similar context. She previously revealed that during EXID's activities, the digital music recording profits were split 9 to 1 between the group and the company, with her share being 10%. While the public remembers them as a popular girl group that released consecutive hits, the scale of that success and the actual economic compensation felt by individual members did not necessarily move in the same direction as the group's fame.

However, HYELIN has not abandoned her path as a singer. She has maintained that running a taco shop does not mean she has quit her entertainment career, and she continues to be active in music and performances, including musicals, DJing, and composing. Rather than seeing the taco shop as a 'second career' chosen after retirement, it is more accurate to view it as an additional pillar of her livelihood alongside her primary career as an entertainer.

Her perspective on success as an entrepreneur is also highly pragmatic. HYELIN noted that a good location is vital and that one must meticulously calculate expected margins. Since she enjoys cooking, she emphasized that while enjoyment is important, realistic factors like pricing and various expenses—which cannot be solved by emotion alone—must be carefully considered.

As the scale of sales grows, the responsibility of the owner increases accordingly, a fact HYELIN is experiencing firsthand. From managing employees to calculating costs and pricing, and overseeing daily operations, the burden on her time and physical strength is significant while balancing other entertainment activities. She even jokingly appealed for help, noting the difficulty of managing various expenses.

Celebrity fame does not solve all the challenges of running a business. While some customers recognize her, she noted that during peak hours, she doesn't have the luxury to respond to photo requests, and some customers even hesitate to visit during busy times, choosing instead to return when it is quieter. While fame can draw initial interest, the sustainability of a restaurant ultimately depends on traditional business factors like food quality, pricing, location, and staff management.

It is also interesting that Cao Lu mentioned seeing news about HYELIN's successful business even in China. The transformation of a girl group member, who once received cheers from fans on stage, into a restaurant owner in Anguk, Seoul, has itself become a compelling story. While the business is a livelihood for HYELIN, for the public, it serves as an intriguing look into the new life of a celebrity.

Recently, the entertainment industry has seen an increase in 'N-jobber' stars who do not limit their activities to a single profession. During periods when it is difficult to maintain activity solely through broadcast appearances, they diversify their income sources through businesses, YouTube, performances, education, and the food industry. Particularly in professions like idols, where the peak period is relatively short, it is natural to see a movement to convert fame into new economic assets while it lasts.

The reason HYELIN's taco shop is garnering attention is not simply because 'a celebrity is running a business and earning 140 million won in monthly sales.' Rather, it is the process of a person who became a star through the reverse climb of 'Up & Down,' experienced activity gaps, and worked part-time jobs to build her own livelihood that captures interest. It reveals the realistic survival strategy of an entertainer who had to take responsibility for her own life even after stepping down from the glamorous stage.

For HYELIN, the taco shop is less an excursion from her life as a successful idol and more like another stage to prepare for her future. While she once faced audience cheers and digital music rankings on stage, she now faces the much more concrete realities of costs, labor, customers, employees, margins, and operations within her shop. Behind the flashy figure of 140 million won in monthly sales, HYELIN's plea for "help" reflects the true nature of this business: building a successful shop and keeping it running are two entirely different challenges.