[Lee Jong-gil's Autumn Return] Why People Seek a Bowl of Makguksu Even Amid the COVID Recession

Kim Yoon-jung, CEO of Gogi-ri Makguksu, 'Learning Sincerity from a Small Shop'

The dining industry is experiencing an unprecedented recession this year. Consumption has sharply contracted due to the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The increase in takeout, delivery, and ready-to-eat meals has also changed the market landscape. Now, it is difficult to attract customers or expect them to keep coming back with just the existing successful strategies. How can one overcome adversity?

Gogiri Makguksu in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, may be a model answer. It thrives regardless of COVID-19. Even now, to eat a bowl of 8,000 won perilla oil makguksu, you have to wait more than an hour.

This restaurant recorded sales of 3 billion won this year. The reason customers keep coming is above all the taste. Makguksu is a difficult dish to prepare. It requires all kinds of care to produce a consistent flavor. This starts with the main ingredient, buckwheat. When making noodles, the outcome varies depending on the dryness of the grain itself, as well as weather, humidity, kneading time, dough consistency, temperature of the water used for kneading, boiling time, amount of boiling water, and temperature of the rinsing water.

Gogiri Makguksu maintains the margin of error within 5% based on standardized measurements. Every morning, they check the condition of the buckwheat flour and adjust the amount of kneading water accordingly. The boiling time of the noodles is adjusted by as much as 30 seconds depending on the season. When boiling the broth, they check the time based on the condition of the beef bones and the meat attached to the bones that arrived that day. Although there is a recipe, this part requires the involvement of skilled experts.

Another strength of the restaurant is comfort. You cannot just tell customers to feel as comfortable as if they were at home. Many people start by apologizing when they need to ask for something at a restaurant. Even though they know it is a service right included in the meal price, they feel self-conscious. Impatient customers take water or drinks themselves or go to get more side dishes if they are lacking.

At Gogiri Makguksu, when customers ask for additional side dishes, they respond with an expression that it is only natural. In fact, they bring them before the request. If the kimchi looks insufficient, they immediately serve it on a new plate. When customers hesitate about how much to order, they recommend starting with a small size. They prioritize building trust that cannot be bought with money, encouraging customers to trust them and come again next time rather than focusing on immediate profit.

“Learning Sincerity from a Small Shop,” written by Kim Yoon-jung, the owner of Gogiri Makguksu, discusses how to apply this relationship-centered management from a certain perspective. Books containing know-how or management philosophy of running a restaurant are commonly found in the self-development section. However, they are mostly filled with idealistic and abstract content.

“Learning Sincerity from a Small Shop” focuses on concrete and practical stories. The background for writing the book was a reflection on why customers who visited once come back again. Perhaps this is the most required attitude for the dining industry passing through the contactless era.

“Even in states of exhaustion and fear, we reaffirm that the reason for a restaurant’s existence is to focus more on each and every customer who visits. If a bowl of makguksu filled with warm comfort can provide even a moment of solace to customers, we could not ask for more.”