Im Won-hee puts 4-year Gangneung Hanok wine bar up for sale

Actor Im Won-hee revealed that he has put his Hanok wine bar in Gangneung, which he has operated for four years, up for sale. Although he showed his affection by decorating the space himself and even inviting a special guest, the reality was not easy. A sense of regret filled the broadcast as he confessed that it has already been three months since he put the shop up for sale.

In the 508th episode of SBS's 'My Little Old Boy' aired on the 16th, Im was seen visiting Gangneung with actress Lee Hee-jin, a former member of Baby V.O.X. After looking at used cars, the two headed to a Hanok wine bar in Gangneung at Im's suggestion.

"Only half a day has passed," Im said, cautiously suggesting to Lee, "If you have time, I would like to take you to a nice place in Gangneung." It appeared he wanted to show her the space he had personally managed, rather than just having a simple meal or sightseeing.

Upon arriving in Gangneung, the two entered Im's Hanok wine bar. The wine bar, which blended the tranquil atmosphere of a traditional Hanok with a charming interior, exuded a simple charm different from typical commercial spaces. Im also showed his attachment to the space by personally introducing various parts of the shop.

Watching this in the studio, Seo Jang-hoon drew laughter by saying, "Is today a day for total charm appeal? Are you intentionally flirting?" Indeed, Im was exceptionally attentive to Lee that day.

In particular, Im created a subtle atmosphere by saying, "I have never brought a woman like you before," and revealing, "I am not doing business today for your sake, Lee Hee-jin." He was emphasizing that this was not just an invitation to a regular or an acquaintance, but a space he was showing for the first time to someone meaningful to him.

Im explained that this wine bar opened in 2022, stating, "It has been four years since I opened." As the time he spent decorating a space under his own name, separate from his acting career, was by no means short, his time and taste were embedded throughout the shop.

However, when Lee asked about the shop's drawbacks, she cautiously pointed out that it was "in too remote a location," and Im finally confessed the hidden reality.

"Actually, the shop is currently up for sale. It has been about three months since I put it up."

This meant that the shop he had operated for four years was already on the market. Because the confession came at a moment when he was fully setting the mood by introducing the beautiful space, it left a particularly bitter lingering feeling.

Lee also expressed her regret, saying, "That is such a shame." Especially since she had experience running a cafe herself, she did not view Im's situation as just someone else's problem.

Recalling her time running a cafe in the past, Lee confessed, "There were no customers at our cafe either. There were many seats, but it was empty." However, she explained that she did not give up and instead made various efforts to revitalize the shop, which eventually led to an increase in customers.

What she emphasized was unexpectedly simple: the fact that 'the owner is personally present in the shop.'

Lee said, "If I didn't have a schedule in Seoul, I absolutely had to be at the cafe," and added, "Even if people pretended not to notice, I would greet them even more brightly in those moments." It was practical advice that the presence and active attitude of the operator are just as important as the interior and location in attracting customers to a store.

It is highly likely that Im's Gangneung Hanok wine bar was not a space that started easily from the beginning. For an actor, a business space containing his name and taste can be another stage of life, but it is also a site of livelihood where one must face the cold reality of sales, rent, location, and foot traffic.

Furthermore, Gangneung is an area with a large commercial gap between regions where tourists flock and those where they do not. This is why it is difficult to guarantee continuous business with only the charm of a 'pretty space.' Im's failure to deny the point that it is in a "remote location" is interpreted as him ultimately feeling the weight that location holds in running a business.

The interesting part of this broadcast was that Im did not hide his affection for the space even while in a situation where he was trying to close the business. This is because it is a shop that welcomes customers while simultaneously being a place where his tastes and time have accumulated.

In particular, when he told Lee, "I have never brought a woman like you before," and cleared out the entire shop for her for a day, the boundary between a business space and a private space became strangely blurred. The fact that he showed his space to someone special at a time when he might be disposing of the business shows that this place was not merely a place of work for Im.

Ultimately, this scene went beyond the light topic of a 'celebrity side hustle' to show the reality that starting something out of passion does not always lead to a passionate result. No matter how much heart is poured into a space, it is difficult to maintain if customers do not come; conversely, even a small space can be revitalized when the owner's persistence and active attitude are added.

For Im, the Gangneung Hanok wine bar was another stage where he lived as a businessman rather than an actor for four years. Whether he will ultimately protect this space or find a new owner remains to be seen.

However, the sight of Im pouring his affection into the place one cherishes while showing it to someone else left a significant impression. And Lee, offering practical advice based on her own experience running a cafe, made the relationship between the two even more interesting.