Local Entrepreneur: Lucchetto, the Realm of Harry Potter

Lucchetto,

The Realm of Harry Potter

By Melline Galani

In December 2020, the Gwangju News presented an interview with Park Sang-won of Plan B, an apparel store in downtown Gwangju. Mr. Park is a unique individual, not only in terms of fashion and style, but also in terms of good ideas that have been turned into successful businesses.

Achieving success as a business or company can feel like a major achievement, and many businesses spring from a great idea that is not only unique but also innovative. This is the case of Lucchetto, a restaurant and wine bar located in Bongseon-dong and Park’s second enterprise.

But what makes a great restaurant? The food, location, service, and setting are just a few factors behind why guests might come to it – but there is a lot of work behind the scenes to bring an exceptional and consistent experience every day.

For Lucchetto, design plays a crucial role. It was first opened in 2019 as a jazz bar with live performances, but it was recently remodeled and changed to a Harry Potter theme, making it a unique destination in Gwangju.

From the ancient-style cutlery to the tree roots covering the walls of the cave-like restaurant, you feel like you are in the basement of the Hogwarts academy. Everything inside, including the toilet, is made Instagram-able, so the first thing I did was take a lot of pictures. Once the amazement of the decorations subsides, it is time to order the food. The menu is quite generous, covering fusion cuisine with pastas, pizzas, soups, fried chicken, and snacks, but what impressed me most was the collection of wines. I opted for a Spanish Merlot that was expensive but also the best wine I have had in Gwangju up till now.

However, Lucchetto is more than a fancy place to hang out with friends on cold winter evenings. It is a place that fosters the arts in all their diverse expressions, as the owner himself is a music lover who sometimes entertains his close friends by playing the saxophone. Lucchetto has a family-like warmth and friendly atmosphere because one of Park’s goals was to make the restaurant a safe space for people with diverse backgrounds and unique personalities, a place where freedom of expression is fostered and art is expressed through music. Therefore, every evening the customers are encouraged to reveal themselves by singing songs (a sort of Western-style karaoke), and friends from different cities and of diverse nationalities gather here to enjoy time together. It is just a matter of time until you become a regular of Lucchetto!

To give deeper insight into Lucchetto, the 29-yearold Park Sang-won was kind enough to answer some questions related to his second business. The outcome of the interview follows.

Melline Galani (MG): What is the main concept behind Lucchetto? Does the name have a meaning? Park Sang-won: In Italian, lucchetto means “lock,” but I chose the name with the sense that each and every one of the people who come to the place is the main character and the key to their lives.

MG: Why did you choose Harry Potter as an inspiration? Park Sang-won: I wanted to create a safe space where we could enjoy time together, a fantasy space from a fairytale that is not real. And what better inspiration than Harry Potter? The entrance of the restaurant conveys the feeling of opening and stepping into a book called Lucchetto.

MG: What makes Lucchetto special? Park Sang-won: Lucchetto brings to life an environment where new people meet, get to know each other, and enjoy their time together in a very friendly manner.

MG: The food menu is really diverse. How did you select the dishes? Do you know how to cook? Park Sang-won: We opted for a fusion Italian menu that goes perfectly with cocktails, wines, or Korean liquors so that we can meet every taste. My partner is a chef. He has been in the restaurant business for a long time and worked as a hotel chef before starting Lucchetto with me.

MG: You play the saxophone. Do you sometimes entertain your guests at the restaurant? Park Sang-won: Playing the saxophone is currently just a hobby, but my goal is to entertain my guests in the future, so I am practicing diligently.

MG: Who are your customers? Do you have a close relationship with them? Park Sang-won: Customers can be anyone regardless of age. Most of our customers are people I meet daily who later become close friends. They are persons I either meet at Plan B or directly at Lucchetto. Later they bring their friends, too, and the circle of acquaintances grows bigger.

MG: Is it not very tiring to run two businesses together? Park Sang-won: I work fifteen to eighteen hours a day and it is physically tiring to run two businesses, but many people come to see me, and if I communicate and have a good time with them, I forget about fatigue and work happily.

MG: Do you advertise your businesses? If so, how? Park Sang-won: Lucchetto has its own Instagram account; therefore, this is one way of advertising it. I also promote the restaurant to my clothing store customers at Plan B and to everyone I meet, or use marketing companies and Instagram influencers to increase visibility.

▲ Park Sang-won remodeling Lucchetto.

MG: What is the main goal in your life? Park Sang-won: My goal in life is to promote the things and values I believe in and to create a space where persons around me can enjoy themselves, but above all, I just want to let people know that we can all be friends without being wary or hostile to the new people we meet. Therefore, everyone who wants to come to Lucchetto is more than welcome, and we will do our best to make it a place that suits you.

MG: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the Gwangju News’ readers.

Photographs courtesy of Park Sang-won.

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Lucchetto (루껫또)

Address: Basement, Bongseon-jungang-ro 123-beon-gil 10, Nam-gu, Gwangju 광주 남구 봉선중앙로123번길 10 지하 Operating Hours: 17:00 – 3:00 (a.m.), closed Mondays and national holidays Phone: 010-9866-9611 Instagram: @lucchetto_jazz_bars

The Interviewer

Melline Galani is a Romanian enthusiast, born and raised in the capital city of Bucharest, and is currently living in Gwangju. She likes new challenges, learning interesting things, and is incurably optimistic. She loves living life as it is. Her favorite safe space to spend quality time with friends is the magical realm of Lucchetto. vvv @melligalanis