Lee Hyo-ri: "Even with long lines, Lee Sang-soon's Jeju cafe eventually closed"

“So many people flocked in, but we didn't make much money.”

Singer Lee Hyo-ri pointed out the harsh reality of starting a cafe by bringing up her husband Lee Sang-soon's experience operating a cafe in Jeju. Even a cafe that garnered nationwide attention with waiting lines stretching hundreds of meters struggled to generate as much profit as expected. Lee Hyo-ri's anecdotal experience, that the simple formula of 'more customers equals more money' does not work in reality, drew attention.

In the JTBC variety show 'Love War' broadcast on the 5th, the story of a couple in their 20s who are currently taking a break from work was revealed. When the girlfriend expressed her dream of opening a cafe in the future, Lee Hyo-ri immediately offered realistic advice, asking, “Do you know how hard it is to start a cafe?”

In particular, Lee Sang-soon's Jeju cafe was mentioned during the process of sharing her own experience. Lee Hyo-ri said, “My husband also ran a cafe,” adding, “There were chaotic scenes with lines stretching for hundreds of meters, but even then, we didn't make much money.” She followed up by emphasizing, “Cafes are dangerous.”

Lee Sang-soon's Jeju cafe was extraordinary from the start. As news spread that Lee Sang-soon would be brewing the coffee himself, immense interest poured in immediately after opening, leading to long waiting lines from the influx of customers. Eventually, as the number of visitors became difficult to handle, the operating method was changed to a reservation system.

However, the intense buzz did not immediately translate into high profits. As Lee Hyo-ri explained, the reality of the cafe business is that no matter how many customers visit, one must cover various costs such as rent, labor, and ingredients. That cafe also ended its operations in May 2024 after operating for about two years.

In this broadcast, the reality of starting a cafe was revealed even more starkly as Hanhae's experience was added. Hanhae shared his experience of running a cafe selling yogurt and coffee in Sangam-dong, saying, “Starting a cafe is romantic, but when you think about the monthly rent, it is truly hell.”

He operated the cafe for about two years, but revealed that it was shocking, stating, “Six months was actually doing business, and one year and six months was just enduring,” and that he ultimately suffered a loss of about 150 million to 200 million won. This part shows the reality that being a celebrity's cafe or having many customers does not guarantee success.

The couple appearing that day was also in a state where both were currently resting from work. The boyfriend suffered burnout after working as a fitness trainer for six years, and the girlfriend had also quit her office job at a hospital. As it was revealed that the boyfriend had broken his savings account to invest about 18 million won in stocks after quitting his job and suffered a loss, Lee Hyo-ri's perspective on the couple's cafe startup plan felt even more realistic.

While advising the two, Lee Hyo-ri said, “Each of you should worry about yourselves,” but added, “I hope you each handle your own worries, but embrace each other and give courage by saying you can do it.” She also confessed that she herself spent a long period of rest, which she experienced for the first time, resting deeply in Jeju for 4 to 5 years after marriage.

From Lee Sang-soon's Jeju cafe, where profits could not be guaranteed despite the flashy waiting lines and fame, to Hanhae's cafe, where actual losses had to be endured. Lee Hyo-ri's words on this day once again showed the massive wall of reality situated between the sweet expectation that 'customers will flock in automatically if you open a cafe' and actual self-employment.