Gwangyang City to Open 'Dream Cafe Branch 2'

Second Branch 'Seonghwang Sports Center' Opens After 9 Years

Temporarily Operating Ahead of April 1 Launch

Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do announced that it officially began operating the ‘Dream Cafe Seonghwang Sports Center Branch’ on the first floor of Seonghwang Swimming Pool on April 1, and started temporary operations from March 6.

‘Dream Cafe’ is a project that Gwangyang City is focusing on as part of a public office-utilized startup job program for people with severe disabilities, aimed at providing sustainable employment for disabled baristas.

Gwangyang City to Open 'Dream Cafe Branch 2'

[Photo by Gwangyang-si]

In particular, the Seonghwang Sports Center Branch operates as a cafe-style store offering a resting space for citizens using the Seonghwang Multipurpose Gymnasium and Swimming Pool, which opened last year, and sells beverages as well as bakery desserts.

To establish the cafe, interior construction and operator selection were completed in January, followed by equipment purchase, business registration, and sales reporting in February to prepare for operations.

The cafe operates five days a week (Tuesday to Saturday) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Four disabled baristas and one manager work there, and a training period was held throughout March to provide delicious beverages. During this period, Americano coffee is sold at a discounted price of 1,000 KRW per cup (regular price 2,000 KRW).

Ha Tae-woo, Director of the Senior and Disabled Division, said, “We are pleased to open the second branch nine years after the first branch was established in the city hall building in 2015,” and added, “We hope the Seonghwang Sports Center Branch will stabilize quickly and become a joyful workplace for disabled baristas.”

Meanwhile, the Dream Cafe Seonghwang Sports Center Branch is operated under consignment by ‘Seosan Narae,’ a specialized facility for vocational rehabilitation of disabled persons, to connect vocational rehabilitation services for working disabled individuals, and an opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 12.