The coin cake that just caused a stir has now passed its prime, the shop owner is looking for a way to 'change the name and the dish'.

Coin cakes (also known as 10 won cakes) are a popular snack originating from Korea. When they appeared in Vietnam last September, they quickly created a "fever", becoming a popular gift for customers to enjoy and buy.

Coin cakes are about 10cm in diameter and cost 35,000 VND each. At the time of their popularity, although the price of this cake was equal to the price of a bowl of beef noodle soup, it was still sought after by many customers, who were willing to line up and wait for several hours to buy it.

However, after only 1 or 2 months of "making waves", coin cakes quickly fell into a state of "outdatedness" and lack of customers. Because many diners, after enjoying this cake once, commented that they did not want to buy it again because with that amount of money spent, "it would be better to eat a bowl of pho".

After 1 or 2 months of appearing and causing a "fever", the cheese coin cake gradually fell into oblivion. Many shops serving this cake in Hanoi admitted that there were no customers (Photo: Kim Ngan)

“At 35,000 VND per piece and with the time I had to wait, it was really not worth what I spent to enjoy the cheese coin cake. I would rather spend that amount of money to eat a bowl of pho, which is both filling and delicious and more worth it,” said Huyen Duong, a customer.

Sharing the same opinion, Ngoc Duy, a customer who waited for more than 3-4 hours to try the coin cake, said that at first, most people ate the coin cake out of curiosity about the taste, mainly to know. According to Duy, with the price of 35,000 VND/piece, customers have many other better options.

“I’ve only eaten it once, and it’s quite greasy. It’s okay to eat it right away, but if you leave it for too long it becomes dry and hard, and the cheese can’t be pulled into strings. It’s okay to eat it occasionally for fun, but I can’t eat it for too long,” Ngoc Duy said.

Many diners admitted to only eating coin cakes once and said they would not buy them again because the price is quite high and the quality of the cake is not up to par (Photo: Kim Ngan)

Quynh Anh, owner of a coin cake shop in Hoi Vu (Hanoi), shared that when it first opened, there were days when the shop's revenue reached 60 million VND. At that time, the shop had no time to rest, selling from noon to evening, producing 1,800 - 2,000 cakes each day.

However, after only about 2 months, the amount of coin cakes that this shop sells every day is no longer as stable as before. “The number of customers suddenly dropped to 200 - 400 cakes per day, only 1/4 of the amount of cakes sold compared to before.

Sales were so low that I had to sell more cakes with unique shapes to attract customers," Quynh Anh confided.

Many shop owners have had to change their business model and create new cakes to retain customers after the coin cakes became "feverish" (Photo: Kim Ngan)

Mr. Cuong, the owner of several cheese coin cake shops in Hanoi, has just franchised one of his shops after noticing that this cake is showing signs of "cooling down".

“I franchised a store because the number of customers is not as high as before, but my remaining stores still maintain a stable number of customers. Because I have my own premises, the recipes and fillings are creative and change regularly, so I still maintain a certain number of customers.

"Selling cakes according to trends is difficult in the long run, but if you sell with heart and are willing to change and innovate, I think you can still survive in the long run," Mr. Cuong shared.

Not only in Hanoi, shops and cheese coin cake stalls in Ho Chi Minh City also recorded a sluggish situation, with only a few customers coming to buy. Those who "followed the trend" to sell this cake also had to sadly bear the loss, some had to liquidate machines and transfer premises because the business situation was not very optimistic.

Many shops and carts selling cheesecakes in Ho Chi Minh City no longer record scenes of customers lining up to buy the "hot trend" cake (Photo: Vo Nhu Khanh)

Ms. T, owner of a cheese coin cake cart on Phan Van Tri Street (Go Vap District) shared: "Seeing that this cake suddenly became so popular, I took the opportunity to open a shop to meet customer demand and earn extra income. But since the end of October, the number of customers has decreased significantly, you can count it on your fingers. Because I just opened a shop, I still have to try to stick with it, until I see I can't hold on anymore, then I'll think about it," she said.

Because it is a busy, bustling street with a high population density, Phan Van Tri is considered a culinary business paradise. That is the reason why this street has countless cheese coin cake carts springing up like mushrooms since this cake became a "hot trend".

Ms. T's cheese cake cart on Phan Van Tri Street (HCMC) is also deserted, with few customers coming to buy (Photo: Vo Nhu Khanh)

“When I first opened, I couldn’t bake enough cakes to sell. Now I have to wait for several hours to get 1-2 customers. Although it’s a bit discouraging, selling cakes is a trend, so I can predict this day.

The investment cost for the vehicle, materials and other things is also more than ten million, luckily up to now we have made a profit. Now we just keep selling, let's see the situation and then decide what to do next", Mr. S - owner of a coin cake cart also on Phan Van Tri street confided.

Kim Ngan - Nhu Khanh

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/banh-dong-xu-vua-gay-sot-da-het-thoi-chu-quan-tim-cach-sang-ten-doi-mon-2217410.html