It’s Saturday morning and my article, which I want to write about Gina and Curtis, is long overdue. But the two have been very busy for a few weeks now because they have been on a quest to make their own “cafe dream” come true. Certainly not an easy undertaking. Because firstly, the real estate prices have risen exorbitantly and secondly, there are already thousands of cafes in Seoul. But today should be my lucky day. Curtis just called me and explained that he was currently on the construction site. He and Gina would have a short time for an interview. However, after a brief conversation, he again became unsure, wanted to postpone the interview. He said that the cafe was still under construction, still a building site. It might be better if we postponed the whole thing for a week. But I did not want to wait, wanted to visit the place already now. So we agreed anyway and met spontaneously for a coffee.
Curtis and Gina are a young Korean couple. In reality their names are 이병민 Byoung-min LEE and 김진아 Gina KIM. However, it is not uncommon among Koreans that many give themselves an English first name. This makes it easier for Westerners to pronounce their names. Gina has a degree in graphic design and English. Her husband Curtis is also a graphic designer. Both live and work in Seoul. They just recently returned to South Korea after a 5-year stay in New Zealand.
Curtis, why New Zealand?
There were 2 reasons. On the one hand, I wanted to experience the largest mammal, the whale, in the wild for once in my life. And there was my brother, who had been living in New Zealand for a number of years and was always telling us about this country and raving about it. We wanted to start a new life, far away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul.
We wanted to start a new life, far away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul.
Curtis LEE
And then you just stay for 5 years?
That was not the plan in the beginning. That we wanted to emigrate was always a dream for us. We wanted to start a new life, far away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul. New Zealand seemed to be the perfect country for us.
Seemed?
We had settled in well in New Zealand, made many friends. I worked as a graphic designer, Gina helped out in a cafe from time to time. But one day we got the news that my father was seriously ill. This was the moment we decided to return to South Korea to be closer to family.
Back in Korea after 5 years. Do you miss New Zealand?
The country shaped us, so homesickness is normal. So it happened that one day Gina surprised me with a traditional pastry, Lamington. She wanted to cheer me up with something sweet. During our time in New Zealand, Gina often baked with her housemother, educating and specializing in this area.
And there it was on the table, the cube-like, airy pastry, a coconut dream in a chocolate coating. After the first bite, I closed my eyes and felt transported back to New Zealand. But the most surprising thing was, this Lamington was perfect, almost better than the original. I was thrilled and we wondered what others would think of Gina’s Lamington.
What was the feedback?
They all loved it and motivated us to sell the baked goods, to start a new business. So it happened that we sold baked goods in a small quantity at various flea markets. We analyzed the market and got a lot of positive feedback from the customers. We also felt that not only the pastries were very well received by the people, but also our friendly, open way of life. Once again, we were on our way to the flea market. Upon arrival, we noticed that a long line of people had formed at our booth. We initially wondered why people were already lining up before the opening. However, we quickly noticed that everyone was waiting for our baked goods. We put the baked goods on our small table and sold our entire assortment within half an hour. The customers wanted more.
Did you then open a pastry shop?
At that time, this was a totally new area for us. Neither of us came from a food background and we didn’t have the necessary infrastructure. Through friends and acquaintances, we were then referred to a company in Seoul that gave us a place to sell our products. They ran the cafe and we baked the sweets. A win-win for both sides. This was the start of our new business.
And this was also the place where we first met. You are no longer there though, why?
In this business model we were “only” the bakers. But our dream was to have our own small cafe with our own bakery. And so the day came when we decided to build our own cafe.
Probably not easy, since there are already many cafes in Seoul.
That’s true, yes. But we don’t just want to sell coffee and cakes. Rather, we want to convey culture. A part of what we experienced in New Zealand. We want to be a place where the focus is still on people, where friendliness is not a foreign word. The customers should feel comfortable.
Have you found what you were looking for?
Smiles – yes, we have found “it.” It’s not huge and still needs to be remodeled. Small but nice. If all goes well, we can open our Albert Park Bakery in about 14 days. But until then, there is still a lot to do until “Albert Park” meets our expectations. And I am already looking forward to welcoming my father as one of the first guests.
