Celebrity Restaurateur Shuts down Last of His Restaurants

The flamboyant TV celebrity-turned-restaurateur Hong Seok-cheon has had to close down the last of his seven restaurants in Seoul's party district of Itaewon.

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Unable to afford the rent as business vanished amid the coronavirus pandemic, Hong took the melancholy decision on Aug. 31. At one time he owned 20 eateries across the country, but now he says he plans to take a break.

The vibrant strip behind the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon used to be filled with restaurants serving food from all over the world, and Hong's chic eateries were among the most popular.

His restaurants had reigned as helpful reference points for first-time epicures and rallying spots for fellow celebrities.

But rents cost up to W10 million a month while revenues plummeted to as little as W35,000 a day (US$1=W1,161). Hong took out loans to pay his staff but became exhausted from the stress. He has pledged to return to Itaewon after getting some much-needed rest.

"Itaewon accepted me as I am when I came out as gay in 2000 at the age of 30 and lost all of my TV jobs", he wrote on Instagram. "I started with a small, rooftop restaurant and ran up to seven at one time, but the last of them will close down this Sunday".

He added, "I braved out the global financial crisis, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and other crises, but COVID-19 was too hard to endure", he went on. "Itaewon is the home of my dreams, relationships and love as a young man. I thought I had realized the dream I had when I was in my 20s of creating a Korean version of Hong Kong's Lang Kwai Fong or New York's SoHo. Now I am disappointed, upset and angry, but at the same time relieved".

Hong's decision shows into sharp profile how hard the hospitality industry has been hit by the lockdown, especially small businesses.