The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince

Plot

Choi Han-kyul (Gong Yoo) is a third generation scion of a food chaebol. He has never had a job and does not care for responsibility. Han-kyul is hung up on his first love, Han Yoo-joo (Chae Jung-an), who was never interested in dating, so they never officially went out. On the other hand, Go Eun-chan (Yoon Eun-hye) is a 24-year-old tomboy who is often mistaken for a guy. Her father died when she was 16 years old and since then she has taken over as the breadwinner in her family. When Han-kyul and Eun-chan meet, he, not knowing that she is a girl, decides to hire her to pretend to be his gay lover so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother.

After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han-kyul takes over a rundown old coffee shop, later renamed "Coffee Prince," to prove that he's capable, both to his grandmother and to Yoo-joo. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good-looking male employees. Eun-chan, desperate for money, continues to hide her gender to get a job at Coffee Prince.

Soon, feelings start to develop between Eun-chan and Han-kyul. As Han-kyul was unaware that Eun-chan is a woman, he starts to question his sexuality and is thrown into turmoil. When he discovers her secret, he feels hurt and betrayed. However, he eventually forgives her and they begin to date. They face strong opposition from his family due to her family’s lower status, but when Han-kyul's grandmother meets Eun-chan, she is impressed by her independence and ambition. She helps pay for Eun-chan to study in Italy to become a barista. After two years of a long-distance relationship, a more stylish Eun-chan returns to Korea and Han-kyul.

Cast

Yoon Eun-hye as Go Eun-chan

A cheerful, friendly girl with a large appetite, she works multiple jobs to support her family. With her short haircut, baggy clothes and flat chest, Eun-chan resembles a boy and is often mistaken for one.

Gong Yoo as Choi Han-kyul

The grandson of chairwoman Bang of Dongin Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He is an intelligent man but is fiercely independent and abhors the thought of being tied down by one career in his life.

Lee Sun-kyun as Choi Han-sung

A talented music producer and cousin of Han-kyul. Despite being in a complicated romantic relationship with Yoo-joo, he develops feelings for Eun-chan as well.

Chae Jung-an as Han Yoo-joo

Han-kyul's first love, and Han-sung's ex-girlfriend. She is a talented professional artist who left Han-sung to go to New York with another man, but complicates his life by returning to Korea.

Lee Eon as Hwang Min-yeop

Coffee Prince waiter. Strong and sweet-natured but not very smart, he is slavishly devoted to Eun-sae, who treats him with disdain.

Kim Dong-wook as Jin Ha-rim

Coffee Prince waiter. Outgoing and hot-tempered, he is fond of Eun-chan.

Kim Jae-wook as Noh Sun-ki

Coffee Prince chef. A taciturn half-Japanese heartthrob, he is recruited to make his popular waffles at the cafe.

Kim Chang-wan as Hong Gae-shik

Coffee Prince co-manager. His cafe is failing before Han-kyul is ordered in to clean it up and relaunch it.

Kim Young-ok as Han-kyul and Han-sung's grandmother

A stern and powerful woman, she is the head of the family and threatens to withdraw her financial support of Han-kyul unless he proves he can run a business and be responsible.

Kim Ja-ok as Han-kyul's mother

Choi Il-hwa as Han-kyul's father

Han Ye-in as Go Eun-sae

Eun-chan's younger sister. Eun-sae has dreams of becoming a rich and famous music star.

Park Won-sook as Eun-chan's mother

Lee Han-wi as Mr. Ku (butcher)

Kim Jung-min as DK (Yoo-joo's ex-boyfriend)

Ban Hye-ra as Yoo-joo's mother

Choi Eun-seo as the girl who wants to learn to make waffles

Nam Myung-ryul as Han-kyul's real father

Han Da-min as Han Byul

Yoon Seung-ah as girl playing cards with Han-kyul on the plane (bit part, ep 1)

Filming locations

Many of the scenes filmed on location in Seoul are as follows:

The "Coffee Prince" was an old coffee shop in Hongdae area, which was remodeled for the filming. The eponymous cafe was reopened after filming concluded with the wall flowers painting by Han Yoo-joo and other props from the drama on display.

Seoul Animation Center at the foot of Namsan in Yejang-dong, Jung-gu: The roof top was used as the exterior terrace of Choi Han-kyul's house.

Yeonhui Matgil (or Yeonhee Street of Flavors), Yeomni-dong in Mapo-gu: the location of the Chinese restaurant where Han-kyul and Eun-chan ate.

The jogging course at Palgakjeong on the Bugak Skyway, Pyeongchang-dong, Jongno-gu: Where Han-kyul goes jogging; and where he met Yoo-joo and Eun-chan who brought competing packed meals for him.

The interior and exterior of the Gwanghwamun branch of Kyobo Book Centre: Where Han-kyul buys books on coffee to encourage Eun-chan to become a barista.

Hongdae Playground (or Hongik Children's Park) in Hongdae area: Where Han-kyul bought Yoo-joo a hat from a street vendor (along Wausan-ro between the playground and Hongik University).

Stone wall road between Duksung Girls High School and Pungmoon Girls High School, across the road from the start of Insa-dong Street that runs from Insa-dong to Samcheong-dong in Jongno-gu: Where Han-kyul helped Eun-chan in the rain, when she encounters a bully on her way home while carrying bags of dolls for sewing work.

In 2011, the Hongdae area and the coffee shop were featured in a National Geographic Channel-produced documentary on the Korean Wave titled Seoul's Got Soul.

Episode ratings

Source: TNS Media Korea

International broadcasts

It aired in Japan on Fuji TV beginning August 11, 2010 as part of the network's "Hallyu Alpha Summer Festival."

It aired in the Philippines on GMA Network from January 1 to March 19, 2008, and received high ratings during its run. The series was re-aired with English subtitles on Animax Asia in 2010, and on GMA News TV from September 19 to October 14, 2016 at 11:00pm.

It aired in Thailand on Channel 7 beginning April 19, 2008.

The series aired in Malaysia in 2010 on Animax Asia with English subtitles.

It aired in the Middle East on MBC 4 beginning December 8, 2013, dubbed as Makha al amir.

It was dubbed in Tamil and aired in India on Puthuyugam TV beginning October 2014.

It is currently airing in Chile on ETC (Chilean TV channel) beginning September 2016.

Remake

In 2012, the TV series was remade in Thailand, and the Philippines.

In 2016, a Chinese remake of the series titled Prince Coffee was announced, directed by Kang Shin-hyo of The Heirs. It was reported that Yoon Eun-hye would be making a cameo appearance in the drama.