How a former fashion worker built a hit bagel cafe in her late 40s

It’s been nearly four years since London Bagel Museum opened its doors in Anguk-dong, Seoul, but the lines outside the store show no signs of letting up. What began in 2021 as a bagel cafe has grown into a cultural landmark — a place where taste and ambiance meet in rare harmony. Behind this phenomenon is Ryo (real name Lee Hyo-jung), a 51-year-old creative director who also founded popular cafes Artist Bakery, High West, and Layered. This month, she released a personal essay collection titled “Philosophy Ryo,” which gathers over a decade of her reflections shared on social media, accompanied by her own photos and illustrations. But this is no how-to guide for running a successful cafe. Rather, Ryo describes her book as a private journal on the “courage to live as one’s true self.” At a press event held on Monday at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, she explained her philosophy behind creating beloved spaces: “I never set out to make trends or carefully brand anything. I just kept asking myself what I genuinely liked, and what I wanted to do. It turns out my tastes resonatWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times