Koreans aim to build influential coffee brand

Video and photo by Marina

Gil Na-hyun and Yu Eun-ju, two young women from South Korea, are co-owners of a coffee shop in Futian’s Xiameilin area. They have ambitious plans to expand their business to Nanshan this year and establish an influential coffee brand in Shenzhen, offering authentic Korean-style coffee.

According to Gil, the name of their shop, “A Thing,” is an idiom in Canada, meaning “trend.” Through this name, they aim to convey that they lead the trend and aspire to become a significant local coffee brand.

Both Gil and Yu came to Shenzhen Polytechnic in 2016 for a language exchange project. After completing the one-year project, they returned to South Korea to finish their bachelor’s degree. Subsequently, they applied for the international student project at Shenzhen University to further their Chinese studies.

Gil Na-hyun and Yu Eun-ju

Driven by their passion for coffee, they worked various jobs after graduating to accumulate the money, knowledge, and skills needed to open a coffee shop. In January 2022, they opened their first coffee shop in the Chegongmiao area in Futian, later relocating it to Xiameilin due to the overall reconstruction of the former site.

“Futian is the central area of Shenzhen, as well as the city’s trade, financial and cultural hub. The transportation is also convenient, which is why we chose Futian twice for the locations of our shop,” Gil stated.

Over the past two years, they participated in many coffee festivals organized by government authorities, witnessing the maturing coffee culture in Shenzhen. They established business connections and met many coffee lovers, intending to participate in more similar events to promote their coffee brand.

Embracing the popular online sale mode, they began operating domestic social media platforms to expand their business and influence, including Little Red Book and Bilibili. “These two platforms have attracted many young, fashionable individuals with forward-thinking mindsets. Many online customers wanted to try our products, especially desserts. So, we mail our products to them,” Gil said.

She also praised the business environment in Shenzhen, noting, “Doing business in Shenzhen is much easier than in South Korea. We were surprised by the speed of receiving feedback after expressing interest in the business. On the second day, a team came to us to offer their ideas and suggestions, showcasing unbelievable efficiency.”

In addition to their expansion plans, Gil and Yu dream of helping more Koreans seek development opportunities in China and vice versa. “We wish to bring more Koreans here and provide them with relevant information. For Chinese people who want to invest in South Korea, we can help them to break the language barrier and select an ideal location for doing business,” they said.