Restaurants Owned By Famous Korean Idols

If you ever travel to South Korea, how can you find your favorite idol the quickest? Some fans are lucky as some idols have their own café or restaurant, and if you are really, really lucky, you might be able to spot your idols there.

Let’s check out some of the most popular cafés and restaurants run by K-pop idols and their families. Now you might think our list has missed a lot of popular spots. We have included only the cafés that are fully functioning as of 2022. We are sad to inform you that most cafés run by idols are closed by now.

EXO member Kai’s sister has a café in Seocho-gu, Seoul, that is famous for its artistic waffles. The café named after Kai and his dog MONGGU is called KAMONG. This does not look like a typical café owned by an idol because you don’t find autographs, souvenirs, and other stuff from idols in this café. Instead, it’s spacious and vast, which gives off urban and modern vibes. Kamong is famous for its ice cream waffle, which has assorted fresh fruits added to it. You can see images of the artistic dishes they offer on their Instagram account. The café is in the heart of Seoul suburb Seocho, just 3 minutes away from Seocho station. It is open from 8.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. on weekends. This café is ideal for small gatherings because it can accommodate large numbers without affecting others.

Viva Polo is an Italian restaurant chain owned by EXO rapper Chanyeol’s mother. This place was extremely popular among international Exo-Ls, but unfortunately it is permanently closed down. However, Exo-Ls, you guys are still the luckiest. Chanyeol’s father runs a café, and this place is one of a kind. If you are a music lover who enjoys live country music, Café "Make a Good World" is a must visit. This café, located in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, is open every evening from 6.30 p.m. to 1 a.m. It is accompanied by a pub where they serve hamburgers. Live music is played here everyday, and every Saturday there is a band performance. You can definitely meet Chanyeol’s dad here. You can view so many EXO-related souvenirs displayed, and there are cute Good World merchandisers such as T-shirts, mugs, and key chains. Café Good World is a great place to enjoy the day with beer, food, and great live music.

ELFs in Seoul can visit Haru and Oneday by Super Junior Lee Donghae. This café, run by Donghae and his brother, is right in front of Exit 4 of Seongsu Station, an area in Seoul. This café serves a wide variety of drinks, ranging from hot teas and coffees to cool smoothies. And the choice of food is so large that it varies from cakes, cookies, tarts, scones, and macarons. At a glance, I loved the café's interior. The gray and white furniture aligned with the papyrus like decor gives such a cozy and serene feeling. This is the ideal atmosphere to work for a couple of hours. Because of this very reason, many people occupy this place for work and business meetings. It is open on weekdays from 7.30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and from 9.00 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends. Make sure you take some photos at Haru, as it will make your Instagram feed lively.

Next, we’ll step into Jeju. The King of K-pop, G-Dragon, opened a café on the western coast of Jeju back in 2018. And this place has been popular among both VIPs and regular tourists simply because of its location. You can easily visit the café directly from Jeju Airport. Many tourists visit Monsant de Aewol in the evening to watch the sunset while slowly sipping their favorite drink. You can both sit indoors and admire the sea view, as the café has huge glass walls, or else you can sit on the terrace outside, just next to the coastline. Monsant de Aewol serves a huge variety of hot and cold beverages and several desserts. They are all a bit on the expensive side, but definitely a treat. If you are visiting Monsanto de Aewol, make sure you go there in the evening to view the sunset.

We don’t have many female idols involved in the food and beverage industry. One of the very few names we come across is Bae Suzy. Suzy’s mom runs a small café in her hometown, Gwangju. Caffe Soo is totally different from the cafés that we have come across so far. The interior décor is not detailed or designed according to a theme. It’s the typical family-owned business in your neighborhood. The walls from the entrance to the end are covered with photos of Suzy, and it’s a must-visit if you are a fan of Suzy. Café Soo became quite popular for their cheap prices and large portions. Their gigantic strawberry bingsoo made headlines for its generous portion of strawberries and ice cream. People who visited the store shared images of the strawberry bingsoo with a ton of fresh strawberries, enormous dollops of strawberry ice cream, and a drizzle of strawberry syrup over shaved ice and cornflakes. The café is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

Two of the BTS members' families also own cafes and restaurants. Jimin’s father owns a café in his home town of Busan. Magnate is located closer to Motgol station, so you can easily get there by subway. This place can get pretty crowded, so it is better if you can get there earlier. Magnate is pretty enormous for a café and can accommodate around 100 people. The interior is quite classy and retro at the same time that it gives off the vibe of a sophisticated club. The cafe offers a basic coffee menu, cold brew coffee, ade drinks, herbal teas, and seasonal fresh fruit juices. They have ice cream and other bakery meals to go with it. Even though the interior is on the luxury side, the menu is averagely priced. Magnate is open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Finally, we have the restaurant, which is more popular with armies. BTS Jin co-owns a Japanese restaurant with his brother. Otsu Seiromushi is located at Songlidan-gil, one of the most popular areas for cafés and restaurants in Seoul. Located closer to Seokchon Lake and the Lotte Tower, many travelers can easily visit this place. The restaurant is open from 5 p.m. to 10.00pm. However, it is packed most of the time. So expect to be on a waiting list to get a booth. The interior is similar to Japanese restaurants, where there are no tables but tiny booths. This setting is cozy and ensures privacy. Their signature dish is seiro mushi, a Japanese method of steam cooking in a bamboo tray. They serve premium Jeju meat, thus the price is slightly higher. However, you’ll be pleasantly full when you come out of Otsu Seiromushi.

If you are a K-pop fan I recommend you to visit these cafes and restaurant if you are in South Korea. Who knows? You might get lucky and run into a few of your heroes. If you've been to any of these cafés, let us know which one is your favorite. If you think we've overlooked any of the best cafés around, let us know in the comments section. Stay safe until we meet next.