"50 million won loss in 2 years" Hanhae confesses to the reality of starting a cafe and his experience of failure

Singer Hanhae offered advice on the reality of starting a cafe based on his own experience of failure. In a video from episode 15 of JTBC's 'Love War' broadcast on October 5, 2026, a scene was captured where Hanhae delivers a realistic warning to a participant who views starting a cafe positively.

"It's romantic but hell"... The amount of loss experienced in 2 years

In the video, Hanhae emphasized that running a cafe is by no means easy. When a participant considering starting a cafe expressed expectations for the aroma of coffee and a relaxing space, asking with hope, "Wouldn't I be somewhat good at running a cafe too?", Hanhae pointed out that this was an idea far removed from reality. Hanhae explained that unlike the 'romantic' image of coffee aromas and relaxation, actual operation is like a 'hell' where monthly rent must be paid.

Hanhae specifically revealed his past experience of running a shop in Sangam-dong that sold yogurt and coffee together. He recalled that even though it was a location with high foot traffic and visited by celebrities, it was difficult to secure competitiveness as low-price offensives continued, such as nearby large coffee chains selling coffee in the 900 won range. Hanhae operated the shop for about 2 years but eventually reached closure, and he directly revealed that he suffered a loss of approximately 50 million won in this process. He added that he thought he would do business for about 6 months and endured for about a year and a half, but even though it was a small shop, the loss was enormous.

"Even if a famous celebrity opens one, they fail" The high wall of self-employment

Hanhae mentioned that cafes account for the largest proportion among self-employed entrepreneurs in Korea, suggesting that the low barrier to entry could actually be poison. In particular, he emphasized that it is very difficult for an individual cafe to withstand the situation where low-priced coffee specialty shops in the 2,000 won range are occupying the market.

He added the ruthlessness of self-employment, saying, "Even if a famous celebrity opens one, they fail." Despite having know-how accumulated from working steadily from his first part-time job to staff and manager, he shared that the loss experienced during the actual operation process was greater than expected, showing a firm stance that starting a cafe is "absolutely not allowed."