Hong Yun-hwa & Kim Min-ki Share Candid Update on Their 'Eomuk Bar' Business: 'Running a Business is Harder Than We Imagined'

Comedian couple Hong Yun-hwa and Kim Min-ki have shared an honest update on their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Appearing as guests on the 'Morning Yard' talk show on KBS1 on the morning of the 16th, Hong Yun-hwa spoke about their new venture. "We took on this challenge without realizing how difficult and challenging self-employment could be," she revealed. The couple opened an 'eomuk bar' (fish cake bar) in Mangwon-dong, combining alcoholic beverages, which her husband loves, with eomuk, her favorite.

Having opened in July and now in their fourth to fifth month, the couple admitted, "It's really not easy once we actually started." Hong Yun-hwa, who is currently on a diet, shared her struggles: "The first challenge is that our customers love us so much. They visit our restaurant and often bring us cakes, bread, pizza, seasonal fruits, and local specialties. It's hard to diet when we end up eating all of it together." Kim Min-ki also chimed in, "A delivery person came by and ordered a pizza, saying they thought Yun-hwa looked hungry."

Hong Yun-hwa expressed gratitude, saying, "We're thankful that people visit us from all over the country and even from abroad. We were so touched when Korean residents living in Canada said our place was the first stop they made upon returning to Korea." She described their establishment as a 'hot spot.' The couple takes turns managing the kitchen and the front of the house, though Hong Yun-hwa jokingly added, "The hardest part for me is resisting my own food."

Kim Min-ki revealed a surprising detail: "Because we have customers who come to see us, we've decided to only open when we are present at the store." Lee Gwang-gi, who has experience with self-employment, commented, "It's really difficult without thorough prior investigation." Hong Yun-hwa agreed, explaining, "We did some initial research, focusing on delicious food and a good location with plenty of foot traffic. But we only later realized how crucial things like construction costs, electrical wiring, and kitchen equipment are. As first-time business owners, we didn't know. We had to redo some construction work several times."

Kim Min-ki recalled a particularly stressful moment: "On the first day, we had a power outage. Luckily, the customers thought it was part of an event and cheered. We turned it back on, and they cheered again. It went out again, and they cheered once more. We were sweating bullets the whole time..."

When Lee Gwang-gi suggested it might have been insufficient electrical capacity, Hong Yun-hwa said, "I didn't know we had to prepare for things like that. I just thought that for a restaurant, good food, hygiene, and quality ingredients were enough."

Netizens reacted positively, with comments like, "So proud of them for trying something new!", "Hope their business does well, they seem to be working so hard!", and "It must be tough but their passion shines through."