The 'Coffee Herb Pharmacy', deeply nestled in an alley in Euljiro 3-ga, was at the heart of the 'Hipjiro' (Hip + Euljiro) craze. Known for its unique interior reminiscent of traditional herbal medicine shops from the enlightenment era and for coffee brewed with care, it is now poised to enter the online market. I met with Park Yong-beom, the director of Coffee Handcraft.
“We initially started in Anam-dong under the name 'Coffee Handcraft.' Then we followed the flow of people to Euljiro,” he said.
Director Park noted about the name 'Coffee Herb Pharmacy', “I thought that coffee should be made with as much care as traditional herbal medicine,” adding, “We select and handpick good beans and prepare the coffee in advance to mature it, putting as much effort into it as brewing herbal medicine.”
Interestingly, this place is located on the site of 'Hyeminseo', where Heo Jun, a physician from the Joseon Dynasty, once worked. Hyeminseo was a national medical institution that treated commoners and managed medications. “I only learned this fact a year after we started operating. I don't know if it was coincidence or fate, but once I found out, my sense of responsibility grew,” Park said.
The interior of the Coffee Herb Pharmacy is regarded as a work of art in itself. The counter, which was remodeled from a mother-of-pearl cabinet, old furniture, and even LP music. The representative, Kang Yoon-seok, who has a background in interior design and carpentry, handled everything personally. “I decorated it with actual products used in the past so that people could feel that experience. It took three months,” he said.
Thanks to these efforts, Coffee Herb Pharmacy has become a 'Hipjiro' hotspot that trends on social media. “At first, everyone said we were crazy for opening a café in the alley. But after we created the space we wanted, people started coming,” he noted.
The company opened a bakery called 'Hyemin-dang' in the space that was formerly a hardware store across from the Coffee Herb Pharmacy. This was due to the recognition of the need to provide desserts at the request of customers while operating Coffee Herb Pharmacy. It also established its own small-scale production facility, certified by the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. The popularity of tarts and mousse cakes is especially high.
The Coffee Herb Pharmacy's efforts to diversify its channels online were significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Director Park said, “Until the pandemic, I had never experienced negative growth, but during the pandemic, daily sales dropped to 30,000 won at one point,” adding that, “We barely survived three years on loans, but this made me realize the need for a transformation.”
Coffee Herb Pharmacy recently began online sales through Naver Smart Store. Currently, it is mainly selling coffee beans and drip bags. Starting as early as the end of the year, desserts from Hyemin-dang are also expected to be showcased. He said, “How to express the unique offline sentiment online is my biggest concern.” He also considers how to promote a brand that has relied 100% on word-of-mouth marketing without advertising in the much more competitive online market.
Due to redevelopment processes in Euljiro, the main business location, Coffee Herb Pharmacy is also searching for a new offline site. Hyemin-dang has limited plans for store expansion in locations where it can reveal its unique character. They are also considering overseas opportunities. Park emphasized, “I want to maintain the brand’s identity rather than pursue indiscriminate expansion like franchises.”