One day, you pass by a cafe decorated with eye-catching banners and posters of a K-pop idol. Due to curiosity or perhaps because you’re craving an Americano, you decide to step inside. The interior of the cafe has even more items related to the idol on display—photocards, hand crafts, balloons, and autographed memorabilia. Huge screens play close-up shots of the idol in various performances, as their hit songs echo throughout the space. You’re not sure why, but these elements pique your interest. At the counter, you proceed to make your order, which comes in a set with a drink in a themed paper cup, some snacks with the idol’s photo cards, and stickers. Looking around, you see a group of customers arranging all these items on their table to take pictures, another walking around viewing what’s on display, and a third discussing the idol’s comeback album.

This cafe is what’s known as a birthday cafe or saeng-ka (생카, abbreviated from 생일 카페). Unique to Korean fandom culture, such cafes are rented by individual fans or entire fan communities to celebrate the birthdays of their favorite K-pop idols. While there is no traceable record for the origin of birthday cafes, they have undoubtedly become an indispensable part of the fan experience over the years. During a popular idol’s birthday month, maps on fandom applications like Offmate are filled with birthday cafe listings from all over Korea, highlighting their popularity. These cafes feature idol-specific merchandise and run interactive activities, such as lucky draws. Visitors also typically receive merchandise when they order from a designated menu, with different sets offering different items.

Extensive preparation goes into organizing a birthday cafe event. Fans collect merchandise, decorate venues, and negotiate with cafe owners purely out of a passion for their favorite idols. This is an undoubtedly costly process, but it can be spiritually rewarding. According to ChosunBiz, preparations for a single birthday cafe can take up to two months and cost more than one million won.

Nonetheless, despite the cost, the birthday cafe phenomenon continues to grow in popularity and has even expanded to involve characters outside of the entertainment industry. Jesus, King Sejong, Isaac Newton, and Admiral Yi Sun-sin are just a few notable examples. One such birthday cafe event, organized in honor of the famous physicist Isaac Newton, featured academic talks by scholars. These cases illustrate how birthday cafe culture is becoming much more diverse and engaging. They also have the potential to attract the attention of a broader public, introducing the culture to those who are not familiar with K-entertainment.

At the same time, birthday cafe culture provides significant economic benefits for many small and medium-sized business owners. According to an article by MoneyS, the daily sales of a cafe that specializes in event organization can reach up to 2.9 million per birthday cafe event. This huge potential profit is enjoyed by the owners of several different businesses, providing them with more sources of income. In terms of the provision of services, cafe owners often supply the venue and beverages, confectionery production businesses create food items such as cookies with edible prints, and customized products manufacturers contribute merchandise and other idol-related items, based on the request of fans or cafe owners.

Following the global spread of the K-wave, birthday cafe culture has also now arrived in countries abroad. There, the “idols” celebrated are no longer limited to Korean artists but also include local celebrities. This fusion of Korean fandom culture and the cafe experience is both unique and incredibly profitable, driving its steady growth. On top of being a successful business model, birthday cafes also provide an accessible platform where fans can express their admiration for their favorite idols. Given the strong impetus of the birthday cafe phenomenon and its expansion to include characters outside of K-entertainment, we can expect the culture to continue diversifying into the future.