Located in a small, quiet alley in Dam Trau, Hai Ba Trung, the familiar Bo Coffee Shop is a corner of memories of the 2000s in the heart of the city. In particular, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the restaurant has become a space that recreates the atmosphere of the 15th of the 8th lunar month of childhood.
Old Mid-Autumn Festival in the Heart of the City
The idea of a coffee shop recreating the old space comes from the common passion of Mr. Vu Ngoc Anh and his wife, who always love the peace and nostalgia of the old days.
The owner wants to create a place where anyone who enters can feel their heart calmed and see a part of their childhood flowing back in the scent of coffee, in the starlight, in the stall of old toys.
Amidst countless decorative ideas for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mr. Ngoc Anh chose to recreate old memories. The restaurant is inspired by the stalls on Dao Duy Tu Street, where toys and childhood snacks are still kept.
The bamboo star lanterns, reed masks, old signs... are collected and decorated rustically, bringing visitors back to the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere of the 2000s.
The owner puts his heart into decoration, lighting, and sound to relax each customer's senses. Every corner in the shop - from the display price of toys, signs to wooden tables - is carefully calculated, reminiscent of a simple "childhood market", touching the hearts of visitors.
The success of a space lies not in the money you have to spend, but in the emotions it brings. The most important thing when visitors come is that they feel "touched" in their hearts, in their own memories," he said.
When the scent of coffee " touches" memories
Regardless of the generation, in the memory of every Vietnamese person, there are always familiar pieces of childhood, star lanterns, masks, brilliant lion heads, and lion drums under the full moon. All are beautiful symbols, preserving the traditional Vietnamese Tet culture.
During his walks around Dao Duy Tu Street, he was attracted by the stalls that still store and sell toys, childhood snacks, and old Mid-Autumn Festival toys.
When he saw star lanterns, traditional trays or foam masks, he felt extremely excited and wanted to give customers the same feeling.
That is the source of inspiration for the initial simple ideas. He started searching and ordering star lanterns, foam masks, toys, childhood candy, candy...
"What I want is that when I enter the restaurant, customers will not only enjoy a glass of regular drinking water, but also relive their childhood memories, being reminded of a simple, warm Mid-Autumn Festival of the past, things that I believe that after experiencing, they will find it difficult to forget," he shared.
The most memorable detail is the price of children's toys. When he looked back at the toys after more than 20 years, he felt like he was back to his childhood.
According to the owner of this nostalgic coffee shop, that is also what many customers feel when coming to the shop - the moment of recovery returning to their childhood.
In addition to the nostalgic space, the restaurant also conquers diners with many diverse and easy-to-drink drinks, suitable for even children. Depending on each type of drink, the price will range from 35,000 - 55,000 VND.
