Eupcheonri 382, a 70s retro cafe, is rising fast among coffee lovers in South Korea. First started in Daegu, the number of stores is increasing like a rollercoaster by using most of South Korea’s retro trend.  

The cafe will welcome you with the 70s vibe and those who feel like retro or photo spot seekers are likely to swing by. It creates a nicely mixed ambiance of retro and contemporary feel which South Koreans often call ‘newtro’. 

“Coffee brands are many and industry is booming in South Korea. So we felt the need to bring up differentiated concept. We focused on the 70s where young and old alike can get the image of ‘the old and new at the country cafe in the city feel’ which we think it hit the market” says Co-CEOs Jeon and Choi.

All props installed in the cafe are alive with the 70s vibe and they are from TV and audio speaker to chair on which visitors cannot help but calling back, or imagine, their memories of the time. 

The menus, however, are trendy sandwich, salads, and beverages often served in a can. Coffee is made with premium roasted beans to give deep finish in the mounth and the strawberry filed latte in particular is very popular among young women. Other popular menus include mango field latte, Eupcheonri gamju, mixed grain powder juice and butter waffle. 

First opened January 2020, Co-CEOs Jeon and Choi are now managing 36 branches nationwide which is a remarkable achievement within such a short period of time. Although running under the same brand, each branch creates its own ambience according to its location. One in Daegu, for example, has a rooftop while one in Ilsan is installed with a pony to maximize the fun. Also, each store head can feel free to use private social media account to promote the store while the head office provides overall marketing in association with influencers. 

Management-wise, the company’s group kakao talk speedily brings up problems and solutions between the management and the store heads. In order to avoid unnecessary competition between the member stores, the one store per 100,000 resident rule is applied to all regardless region.

“Location is very important and we are extremely picky when it comes to it. Otherwise, both the head office and the store are likely to struggle even to pay the rent. This is one of reasons we keep distance between the stores” says Choi. 

Eupcheonri 382 is delivered through Baemin, the most popular food app in South Korea. 

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