"Are There No More Children's Cafeterias?" Efforts of 'Kind Adults' to Bear Fruit [Feeding Hungry Children Fully②]

No Hungry Children... Efforts by Local Governments, Private Sector, and Self-Employed
More Services and Promotion for Children Remain a Task

A child is receiving dinner on a tray at Gangdong Children's Restaurant.
Photo by Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan kgc6008@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan] "I’m going to eat one more time today. There’s a special meal on Friday, and that’s my favorite."

Gijang rice, cheonggukjang stew, pork neck chop steak, pumpkin namul, young radish kimchi, orange juice... This is not a menu you would find at a regular restaurant, but a menu from a restaurant created for children from vulnerable families.

Gangdong Children's Restaurant, located on Gucheonmyeon-ro in Amsa-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, opened in January this year. It is the first children’s restaurant operated by a local government nationwide, established with the purpose of providing a healthy dinner to children from dual-income and low-income vulnerable families. The operating hours are from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the cost per meal is 2,500 KRW.

Currently, 30 children visit this restaurant. It is available to children from dual-income low-income families and general dual-income families who have not benefited from existing care facilities. Eligible children are those aged 6 to 15 who are registered residents of Gangdong-gu or attend elementary or middle schools located in Gangdong-gu. Applicants are selected once every six months.

A child is having dinner at Gangdong Children's Restaurant.
Photo by Kim Gun-chan, intern reporter kgc6008@asiae.co.kr

The restaurant offers a diverse and healthy menu considering the children’s preferences. Nutritionist A said, "Since many children from nearby Cheonho Elementary School come here, we create menus that do not overlap with Cheonho Elementary’s meals and ensure a variety of nutrients are provided," adding, "Because it’s not a group meal service, we respect the children’s tastes a lot."

B, a 13-year-old sixth grader at Cheonho Elementary School who visits the children’s restaurant daily, said, "The special meals like spaghetti and tteokbokki served on Fridays are the best."

In July, when there is a school vacation, a food education program is also conducted. A said, "Through the program, we aim to help children naturally acquire healthy eating habits."

A representative from the Youth Support Team of the Gangdong-gu Office’s Child and Youth Division stated, "The need for a children’s restaurant for children who eat alone in the Amsa and Cheonho-dong areas, where the proportion of low-income dual-income and vulnerable children is high, was raised," and added, "To provide sustainable, stable, professional support and care, the Gangdong Children’s Restaurant on Gucheonmyeon-ro, operated directly by the local government, was opened."

Photo by Hungbeok Wonsungi Movement Headquarters website capture

Meanwhile, there are also children’s restaurants operated by the private sector. One such restaurant is 'Bapmeokgo Nolja' (Let’s Eat and Play), a children and youth-only restaurant in Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi Province, operated by the Cloth Monkey Movement Headquarters, a nonprofit organization. Opened in January this year, Bapmeokgo Nolja operates solely on sponsorship without any government or local government subsidies. Any child or youth can visit the restaurant and have dinner for free.

Bapmeokgo Nolja operates every Tuesday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. About 50 children visit the restaurant. In addition to serving meals at the restaurant, they also distribute about 100 homemade lunch boxes to children who apply for them.

Director Kim Bo-min said, "During the COVID-19 period, we ran side dish delivery and food truck projects for children who couldn’t eat during school vacations," and explained, "We thought it was necessary to have a stable cooking space where children could come and eat, so we created the children’s restaurant."

A sticker of "Good Influence Store" is attached to the shop.
Photo by Intern Reporter Kim Gunchan kgc6008@asiae.co.kr

Besides local governments and private organizations operating restaurants for children facing food insecurity, there are so-called 'Good Influence Stores' run by self-employed business owners. The 'Good Influence Store' campaign started in 2019 at 'Jinjja Pasta' in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Not only restaurants but also self-employed businesses in various fields that can help children facing food insecurity participate. After about three years of operation, the number of Good Influence Stores nationwide has reached around 3,700.

Although the number of children facing food insecurity visiting Good Influence Stores is not large, the number of people seeking help continues steadily. Ha Mo, who runs a Korean restaurant in Seongdong-gu, became a member of the Good Influence Store two years ago. Ha said, "Sometimes up to three times a week," adding, "Some come from nearby, and some come from far away."

A self-employed business owner A who runs a Good Influence Store nearby said, "About once a month," and explained, "Since there are fewer Good Influence Stores in other regions, some come from other areas like Incheon."

Lee Dong-hoon (42), who runs a pho restaurant in Gangbuk-gu, said, "There is one student who comes regularly once a week," adding, "I haven’t seen any other friends besides that one student yet."

However, there is also regret that the number of children facing food insecurity visiting Good Influence Stores is small. Ha Mo, who runs a Korean restaurant, emphasized, "It’s more inconvenient than expected to search for what is available and where in the area where I live," and said, "For children to come to the stores, the website definitely needs to be improved for convenience."

It is also burdensome for self-employed business owners to promote themselves as Good Influence Stores. It could be mistaken as a means of advertising the store. Lee said, "I think it would be good if children knew more, but there is no way to inform them," and lamented, "I thought about putting up a banner, but I didn’t because people might misunderstand it as advertising."

Experts suggest finding ways to increase the utilization of children’s restaurants. They argue that in addition to providing meals to children who visit, measures such as delivering meals to children who cannot come directly to the restaurant are also necessary.

Professor Jung Jeong-ho of the Department of Social Welfare at Cheongwoon University said, "We need to consider methods to deliver meals directly to children using social welfare institution facilities or food bank distribution systems," and explained, "This would increase the utilization of children’s restaurants by providing more services to children who have difficulty accessing them."

There is also an opinion that broader measures for children should be considered beyond operating children’s restaurants. Professor Jung Jae-hoon of the Department of Social Welfare at Seoul Women’s University said, "Since the situation varies by local government, infrastructure should be built according to local circumstances while preserving the purpose of children’s restaurants," and added, "Child welfare, including the operation of children’s restaurants, needs to be discussed within a larger framework."