Café Type:
Basic categories include coffee shop, dessert café, brunch café, private-room café, manga café, rice-cake café, unmanned café, etc. There are also take-out only or drive-thru formats.
Since you’ll need to sustain operations long-term, pick a type you can manage without burning out.

Café Name:
Choose a name that won’t go out of style and will remain relevant for years to come.
If you plan to grow into a franchise, consider registering the trademark.

Concept:
Think about what customers do first when they visit a café.
Even a neighborhood café is chosen based on coffee quality, dessert appeal, interior, or location.
In busy districts, customers often research online for signature items or photo spots before they visit.
Your concept should reflect target demographics, preferences, and customer turnover.
Analyze nearby cafés in your preferred area, identify primary customer segments and behaviors (e.g., group gatherings vs. solo study), then define your concept accordingly.

DIY Development:
Learn skills yourself via barista or baking academies, or online resources like YouTube.
Pros: you gain expertise and can tweak menus at will. Cons: it takes substantial time and the results are subjective.

Hire an R&D Team:
First Coffee Lab has an in-house menu development team, so you can learn recipes for your desired items. For items you can’t produce on-site, we source ready-made or semi-prepared products (e.g., pre-baked goods that you simply finish in your oven).
Through in-depth discussion with you, we design your menu and collaborate with our training team to provide rapid, hands-on instruction so you can start selling immediately.
We recommend items based on your café’s style, scale, and location, ensuring high satisfaction. While this saves time and minimizes failures, it does incur additional cost.

Lease Agreement:
By this stage you’re making your largest investment.
When signing the commercial lease, ensure all usage rights and operating terms are detailed.
These documents become critical if disputes arise.
Carefully review the building register, official property deed, land-use certificate, and the lease contract.

Business Permits:
You need a health certificate, hygiene education certificate (online/offline), and business registration (trade license).
Consult the Korea Foodservice Association and the National Tax Service portal to secure all necessary documents.

The espresso machine is crucial for a café. Different models vary widely in price and brew quality, so choose carefully.
Match machine capacity and accessories to your menu and scale. Schedule installation, testing, and final checks well before opening.

Coordinate delivery of all raw materials and café supplies—coffee beans, desserts, and more—to match your main and secondary menus.
Reliable, uninterrupted supply post-opening is essential, so select your vendors early and prepare thoroughly.
First Coffee Lab operates its own First Coffee Factory for bean roasting, bakery production, and café supply distribution.
We offer specialty-grade beans at competitive prices, roasted in-house.

Opening the doors isn’t the end. As noted, today’s customers search for cafés online before they visit.
Marketing is vital, especially if you’re in a busy commercial area.
Manage social media like Instagram, plan seasonal promotions, engage bloggers and influencers, and run local campaigns.
Marketing alongside daily operations can be overwhelming for an independent café.
Consider outsourcing marketing or opting for a franchise model to streamline efforts.