Ahn Sung-woo, the Daejeon Bread Taxi driver who guides passengers through the city’s famous bakery spots. (Yonhap)
DAEJEON, Nov. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — In a city celebrated for its bakeries, one taxi in particular has become a minor sensation among South Korea’s devoted “bread lovers.”
The “Daejeon Bread Taxi,” as it reads on the door, offers passengers not just a ride but a curated tour of the city’s best bakeries — complete with a foldout table, tasting kits, and a driver who has spent nearly two years scouting the perfect route.
The creator of the service, 63-year-old driver Ahn Sung-woo, greets riders wearing a beret instead of the standard taxi cap and hands out a “welcome kit” stocked with disposable plates, forks, and a cooler bag for purchased pastries. A laminated menu lists recommended bakery routes, carefully designed to match the tastes of the country’s avid pastry tourists.
Interior view of the Daejeon Bread Taxi vehicle. (Yonhap)
Ahn’s Bread Taxi is still in what he calls a “beta phase,” but the concept is already gaining attention. He drew inspiration from Japan’s famed “Udon Taxi” in Kagawa Prefecture — a highly structured, branded food-tour service he encountered during his 20 years working in the travel industry.
“I remember thinking it was brilliant,” he said. “To match that level of content, I needed a clear plan and a strong concept. And in Daejeon, a city known for bread, it felt strange that no bread taxi existed.”
Ahn set out to build one himself, combining his travel-industry instincts with the practical needs of taxi passengers. He installed airplane-style tray tables so customers can sample pastries while on the move.
These days, the hottest destination for “bread pilgrimages” — touring famous bakeries — is unquestionably Sungsimdang in Daejeon. In particular, the flagship Cake Boutique at 153 Eunhaeng-dong, Jung District, Daejeon, has become such an icon that the area is now known as “Sungsimdang-gil.” (Yonhap)
Then he spent a year and a half walking the streets of Daejeon, tasting pastries at dozens of bakeries, narrowing down which items were essential buys, and mapping out hyper-efficient routes that reduce wait times and minimize travel between shops — sometimes planned in three-minute increments.
The Bread Taxi is, in many ways, the culmination of Ahn’s approach to hospitality, shaped by decades of designing travel itineraries and selecting restaurants for clients. Now, he applies that same attention to detail to the inside of his cab.
“Service is all about the details,” he said. “I want passengers to feel that the fare was worth it.”
Sungsimdang’s breads have become items you can only buy by traveling to Daejeon, and the bakery is widely credited with reviving the declining old downtown district, earning strong support from the local community. (Yonhap)
Ahn is already imagining the next phase: personalized certificates for riders, a guidebook introducing Daejeon’s bakeries with charming illustrations, and eventually a brand strong enough that Japan’s udon taxi drivers might come to Korea to experience his version.
In the meantime, his Bread Taxi continues its daily rounds through Daejeon, carrying the warm, comforting appeal of the pastries it celebrates — and the quiet pride of the driver who created it.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)