From Waiting Lists to Reviews... IT Solutions Now Essential for Cafe Startups

Startup Solutions Rise to Support Small Business Owners
Spotlight on All-in-One Services for Cafe Entrepreneurs at the Seoul Cafe Show

Before entering a popular cafe or restaurant, customers register for the waiting list at the entrance. Once seated, they place their orders using kiosks, table ordering, or smart ordering systems. Payments can be made through various methods, including card terminals, simple payment apps, and QR payments. After the payment is completed, a link is automatically sent to the customer, allowing them to post a receipt review without having to take a photo. Using the data accumulated throughout this process, business owners can analyze sales and identify popular menu items to develop operational strategies. This was part of a solution demonstration at the '2025 Seoul Cafe Show' held at COEX in Seoul on the 19th. Alongside various food ingredients and cooking equipment, IT solutions have become an essential preparation item for aspiring small business owners getting ready to start their own ventures.

According to industry sources on the 20th, IT services targeting prospective entrepreneurs and early-stage self-employed business owners are gaining attention. Even those without prior business experience can easily manage all aspects of store operations-from ordering to reviews-using these services. Not only do they enable efficient management, but they also reduce the trial and error that 'rookie owners' typically experience, thanks to data-driven analysis.

On the 19th, visitors are experiencing startup solutions at the Payhere booth at the Seoul Cafe Show. Payhere

Payhere, a startup that set up a booth at this year's Seoul Cafe Show, is a prime example. Payhere introduced an integrated solution based on a point-of-sale (POS) system for cafe and bakery owners. Visitors could experience real-time integration of POS with services such as Naver reservation and review management, point and stamp accumulation, delivery order management, and rider dispatch.

The most frequently asked-about feature was review management. The Naver Place integration, which automates review management, sends an automatic notification message requesting a review without requiring customers to go through the cumbersome process of verifying their receipts. Submitted reviews can be checked immediately via the app or POS system. One business owner who tried the service firsthand said, "Reviews are crucial in store management, and being able to manage them in real time made me realize the need to adopt this solution." Park Jungki, CEO of Payhere, stated, "Based on mobile POS, we have expanded beyond payments to offer features that genuinely help increase cafe sales, such as marketing, reservations, and review management. We will continue to actively incorporate feedback from the field to provide an integrated solution that entrepreneurs can trust from startup to daily operation."

The reason these IT solutions are attracting attention is that, although the number of self-employed business owners dropped significantly earlier this year due to the prolonged recession and sluggish domestic demand, demand has gradually recovered since then, and there is a growing recognition that 'digitalization' is essential for strengthening competitiveness. According to Statistics Korea, the number of self-employed business owners fell to 5.5 million during the COVID-19 pandemic in January this year, but increased again to around 5.67 million last month. An industry official commented, "The challenges faced by small business owners are intensifying due to ongoing domestic market stagnation and structural issues such as population decline. It is necessary to develop startup strategies that take into account the characteristics of an increasingly digitalized market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.