I got involved in the business, helping my mother, who ran a café along Bukak Skyway. It was during my college days, and I found the work incredibly enjoyable. I realized that entrepreneurship was my calling. Although I studied law, I never considered taking the bar exam. After graduation, I took over the café, and our revenues soared. At that time, specialized coffee shops were rare, so I learned espresso-making and equipped the café with machines. I wanted to do it right. Even twelve-hour shifts attending to customers felt enjoyable.

Then came a turning point when the Jongno District Office announced a tender for the operation of Palgakjeong Park. My café's success led to a proposal to bid. We won and became the operators. I was 28 at the time, fearless. It was a substantial project, managing everything from the park's café to its restaurant, convenience store, and parking. Back then, Palgakjeong Park wasn't very crowded. I spent sleepless nights figuring out how to boost sales. After a year of hard work, the area became lively. That experience taught me the basics of business. Later, I also managed projects like Imjingak and Pyeonghwanuri Park.

Despite handling significant projects, I always yearned for my brand. With government projects, one misstep in a tender could mean an exit. So, I decided to start something of my own. That's how Sam's Bagel came to be. I intentionally chose a less favorable location in a one-way alley in Daechi-dong, believing that solid fundamentals would ensure success regardless of location. The first day brought in just 270,000 won. We had a principle: sell bagels only on the day they are made. Leftovers were given away on the streets. Then, I came up with the idea to turn them into rusks, a popular menu item at FourB. The initial phase was challenging, but within a year, we made 2 million won a day, becoming a well-known bagel shop in Daechi-dong.

Back then, my business partner introduced me to Japanese-style bagels, which were unexpectedly delicious. They weren't the hard bagels I had imagined. They had a certain moistness, soft yet sweet. When I tasted them, I had this intuition that they would work in our country.

Bagels have a long history, being loved for over 5,000 years, proving they're not just a passing trend. It's their history as an everyday bread that makes this possible. Unlike desserts, which, no matter how delicious, can't be eaten in place of a meal every day, bagels are substantial enough to serve as a meal. I believe a brand should be simple yet enduring; in this sense, bagels are the perfect fit.

I started by learning essential recipes from Japanese bagel books. Then, I experimented by adding compatible and trendy ingredients. This led to the creation of over 30 types of bagels and spread recipes. I've been investing in recipe R&D for ten years.

When I was running Sam's Bagel, a client working in a global real estate firm suggested I consider a spot in the newly opening Gwanghwamun D Tower. After much deliberation, I decided to establish my brand. That's how FourB came into being.

4B stands for ‘Basic, Best, Bright, Brilliant.’ My philosophy has always been to ‘stick to the basics and give our best.’ We focus on doing the basics and giving our all, even in small tasks. Starting from a small attic and building up my business, I've always tried to adhere to these principles of ‘basics’ and ‘best effort.’ I added ‘Bright’ for a positive outlook and ‘Brilliant’ for talent, forming the 4B ethos.

The initial offer was for the third floor of D Tower, but I insisted on a ground-floor location. I wanted to establish a proper local café in the heart of Gwanghwamun, which I consider the cultural center of the country. It was disappointing to see a lack of local cafés in such a critical area, dominated chiefly by global brands like Starbucks or domestic franchises. I believe that succeeding here would pave the way for more great local brands in Gwanghwamun. Catering to many foreigners, I wanted to leave a good impression of Korean cafés. Perhaps my youthful confidence in my late 30s made me believe I could succeed. Looking back, it was pretty audacious.

The first day's sales were 700,000 won. We faced substantial losses in the first year, with high rent and a staff of three bakers and five baristas. But, as always, I decided to stick to the basics – treating customers kindly and communicating sincerely. And so, sales steadily climbed. That's when I learned, ‘Ah, business is about repeat customers. Genuine interaction increases repeat visits and sales.’ Nowadays, there are plenty of places with great bagels and coffee. Customers remember kind service and detailed attention. I tell my staff, ‘We're not just making good coffee; our kindness can turn customers into friends.’ We started calling out customers by name, like ‘James, what will you have today? A latte?’ This approach builds relationships. Some regulars have become employees or business partners. Even now, 60-70% of the Gwanghwamun branch's sales come from repeat customers. The success of the Gwanghwamun branch gave me the confidence to open a second location in Hapjeong, and now we have expanded to 13 branches.

From the start, my goal wasn't just to open a café but to create a ‘company.’ It meant better pay for employees and greater longevity for the business. As we made money, we reinvested it to expand our locations.

The greatest crisis was during COVID-19. We couldn't open our stores. But we were lucky. We had already been supplying to ‘Kurly,’ an online grocery platform, and the pandemic increased demand for home delivery. It was a breakout moment for us. Offline sales dropped to only 20-30% of the usual, but Kurly helped us weather the tough times.

There was a time when the company struggled financially, though it appeared successful externally. I realized that the face-to-face nature of the F&B industry limited revenue to when the stores were open. Around that time, early morning delivery services like ‘Kurly’ and ‘HelloNature’ were emerging. I knew we had to get on these platforms. Our entry into Kurly was a brilliant decision, especially when COVID-19 hit. We even built a thousand-pyeong factory in Paju to increase orders. This vertically integrated setup handles everything from producing bagels, coffee, and spreads to design and distribution. It was a significant loan but a future-oriented investment. It allows for cost control and supplying products at more affordable prices.

Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic and author of the book ‘Turning Crisis into Opportunity,’ states that recession is indeed an opportunity. People tend to shrink back during downturns, but if you have a strong brand, you should invest boldly. Low interest rates and ample government support for businesses made it a timely decision. We even expanded our stores during COVID-19, taking advantage of increased vacancies and reduced deposits. The inspiration came from reading books.


I believe all answers are in books. Whenever I face challenges or difficulties, I turn to books. Recently, with the opening of our Jeju direct store, I've been rereading a book by the founder of Tsutaya bookstores. It helps me find answers to current dilemmas. I've tried diverging from the books' guidance, but in my case, following them seems to work best.

It would be a lie to say there's no anxiety. But I have faith. As the market grows and quality standardizes, consumers will seek products with competitive pricing. When I started Sam's Bagel 10 years ago, a plain bagel was 2,500 won; now, FourB sells it for 2,600 won — just a 100 won increase, made possible by our in-house production. We strive to maintain prices as affordable as possible. If we stick to our ethos of ‘adhering to basics and doing our best,’ wouldn't customers recognize that?

I've never really had the luxury of considering stability. I jumped into managing a café after university, responsible for paying salaries. Every day has been a battle. I receive daily sales reports from all 13 branches, and if there's a drop, I ponder solutions. Reading about the McDonald's CEO in “Rocket CEO,” who checked sales with a cane even three months before passing, reassured me that I was on the right track.

It's the employees who trust and follow me and the customers who love FourB. We fell behind in the competition when we stopped. There have been times I couldn't pay myself and lost sleep, wondering why I work this hard. However, creating a good company teaches employees to establish great brands themselves later, advancing the industry. This sense of mission keeps me going.

Another driving force, though it may sound funny, is a kind of ‘mission.’ There's no Korean brand yet to rival Starbucks. Countries like Japan and Australia have many great local brands, unlike Korea, where Starbucks dominates. While Korea has good brands, none represent Korea yet. My mission is to make FourB that representative Korean café brand.

Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, said in his book that ‘dreams should be a little odd,’ and I agree entirely. If dreams are set as mere numbers or material goals like ‘500 million’ or ‘1 billion,’ wouldn't achieving them eventually feel hollow? I believe dreams should be slightly outlandish and idealistic yet attainable. My ultimate goal is to build a company that surpasses Starbucks. That's why I'm not overly thrilled even when we hit high sales figures; my aim isn't just a number. Having an idealistic goal keeps me continually striving and deeply committed.

I never lose sight of our standards for quality and my attitude towards our employees. When times are hard, I might become irritable with staff, but then I reflect on this at home and realize I still have a long way to go. Everything results from my actions, and blaming the staff is unfair.

Recently, we built a store combined with an employee training facility in Jeju Island, as our employees always wanted to visit Jeju. We made excellent accommodations there, allowing them to live and work for a month. If I treat my employees well, their positive energy will be transferred to our customers.

As I mentioned before, I believe all answers are in books. This time, I found my answer in the book of Amorepacific's founder. Before setting the store's concept, I read his book, “I Would Choose Cosmetics Again If I Were Reborn.” I wanted to understand the founder's mindset when creating the company and his thoughts behind building this structure. I summarized this and shared it with my employees. This building itself is magnificent. Amorepacific values design and art, so instead of adding our flair, we wanted to fully showcase the structure, allowing customers to feel the architect's original intent. We set it up to give a gallery-like experience with beautiful paintings on display, ensuring our store's design aligns with the building's essence.

For first-timers, I recommend the ‘Bagel of the Day Set.’ It offers the best bagel and spread of the day at a reasonable price. The set, including a bagel, spread, and coffee, is affordable at around 8,000 won. We're also planning to develop a set menu specifically for Amorepacific employees.

They possess a youthful and dynamic energy, creating a lively atmosphere. That's why I feel uplifted whenever I visit this branch.

By then, perhaps FourB will have become a brand that surpasses Starbucks. If not, I aim to lay the groundwork for the next generation to achieve this. I plan to retire at 70, which gives me roughly 20 more years. I plan to build this slowly and steadily.