Ryo: From 'rain-soaked little bird' to London Bagel Museum brand director

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Ryo: From 'rain-soaked little bird' to London Bagel Museum brand director

Published: 20 Jun. 2025, 07:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Ryo, the chief brand director behind popular cafe franchise London Bagel Museum [YOLIMWON PUBLISHING]

If you feel like you've met a lifelong friend after reading this book — despite never meeting its author — then you were once lonely, but are no longer. That’s the promise offered by “Philosophy” (Yolimwon Publishing), a collection of essays, photos and illustrations.

The author, who goes by the name Ryo, meaning “companion” in Chinese characters, emphasizes that the easiest and most radical thing you can do is to live as the version of yourself that you want — not the version others expect. She does not use her real name or age, nor does she carry a business card. Her work is her identity. She is the person behind the London Bagel Museum, famous for weekend wait times of three hours or more.

Ryo came up with the concept for the London Bagel Museum franchise, launched multiple locations in Seoul and now serves as its brand director. But her first book has no secret formula for success.

The English phrase on its cover — “Being yourself, not being someone” — captures its core message. Ryo’s words echo those of 19th-century British writer Oscar Wilde, who once said, “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.”

″Philosophy″ by Ryo [YOLIMWON PUBLISHING]

“It wasn’t about selling something or making money,” Ryo said, reminiscing back to when she branded the London Bagel Museum.

“The time I grew the most was when I was at my weakest — like a small, rain-soaked bird.”

Ryo spoke with the JoongAng Ilbo for a further interview after a press conference that took place on Monday. The following are excerpts from the interview and the press conference, edited for length and clarity.

Q. What does the London Bagel Museum phenomenon mean to you?

A. When I was in London, I had a moment in a cafe that made me want to change my entire career. Until then, I lived according to other people’s gaze. But watching people of different races and ages communicate and work in their own rhythms, something clicked. I felt an arrow pierce straight through my being.

I wanted to create a space like that and be part of it. I wasn’t thinking about what to sell or how to profit. I became my own first customer and created a space that could convince me — and that, I think, became a trend. I see it as a phenomenon.

People lined up outside a London Bagel Museum franchise in Seoul [JOONGANG ILBO]

A London Bagel Museum branch in Seoul filled with customers [JOONGANG ILBO]

How did you feel when the brand exploded in popularity?

I felt relief — a sense of being understood. Realizing that I wasn’t the only one thinking this way, that my ideas could resonate with others, was comforting. I’m grateful.

Why do you emphasize the importance of time alone to discover the self?

Since I was seven or eight, I was never a welcomed child. Maybe I was just a strong-willed kid. I have memories going back to when I was four or five of feeling that way. I instinctively sensed that my way of surviving had to be different.

But really, everyone is different. I refused to be boxed into a life where I only used 3 percent of my brain, living as the version of myself others expected. Discovering the parts of me I haven’t met yet — the unexperienced versions — means I can become anything. That’s why I refuse to be lazy. There must be a reason our brains are this big.”

Ryo, the chief brand director of the London Bagel Museum franchise, speaks at a press conference for her book ″Philosophy″ on June 16 in central Seoul. [YONHAP]

Living as yourself requires courage, and can be both isolating and overwhelming, right?

Yes, many people say, ‘I don’t know who I am.’ But it’s actually very simple. You just need the will to turn the input you give yourself into output.

Think of it like doing laundry. Instead of focusing on the task, focus on yourself as you’re doing it. Same with conversations — focus on the ‘you’ who’s talking. When you observe, collect and archive your outputs, you start to see who you are. That’s why I even recommend Instagram. Most people post selfies and forget them, but I zoom in on my own photos, look at them over and over — to understand myself. I’m the only me in this world.

Ryo, the chief brand director behind popular cafe franchise London Bagel Museum [YOLIMWON PUBLISHING]

Why is being yourself so important?

We fear not being like others. I hope people seriously question the behaviors and definitions of happiness that others have laid out as right. Even if the answers are difficult to find, they must be found by the self.

Just before a major turning point in life is usually a period when you’re at your weakest, terrified and lost. But even then, taking a step forward — that’s the beginning. If you keep going through that, the turning point will come. Someone else’s shortcut isn’t your shortcut.

Many people struggling to live have considered extreme measures. Do you wish to share a word to people struggling?

That’s also a sign of wanting to live better. That’s why metacognition and self-objectivity are crucial.

Let’s say you’re having such thoughts. Try documenting it. Take a picture of yourself buying sleeping pills. Observe yourself in that moment. You start to understand why you’re thinking that way. You can’t compare yourself to anyone — you’re the only you in this world.

Everyone has their moments of being a rain-soaked little bird. That’s when I grew the most. Even right before creating the London Bagel Museum, I was in that state.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHUN SU-JIN [[email protected]]