"Upgraded" overnight: A deserted coffee shop in Ho Chi Minh City went viral thanks to a photo full of errors

(Dan Tri) - Recently, a photo full of errors created by AI suddenly went viral on social networks, causing a deserted coffee shop to become unusually crowded.

Create a fever thanks to AI photo

In recent days, a photo created with AI (artificial intelligence) has been circulating on social media, depicting a man with a sad face, accompanied by the urgent caption "I'm not asking for money, I just want you to come" and information about the restaurant.

The image had many spelling errors and a confusing font, but the sincere content attracted the attention of the online community and quickly went viral. After only 2 days, the post received more than 7,800 likes, more than 7,300 shares and more than a thousand comments.

Many famous people such as To Buu Phat (nicknamed Pho Dac Biet), rapper Blacka... also said that they saved the post and promised to visit the restaurant to support. Not only that, in the comment section, some people also left check-in photos, saying that they came to eat bread and drink coffee to support the restaurant.

A netizen also helped the shop owner fix the AI photo with correct spelling and no font errors so that it would be easier for customers to read.

The AI-powered coffee shop advertisement photo went viral (Photo: Character's Facebook).

Many social media users also expressed deep sympathy for the restaurant owner's situation. Many comments shared that they had fallen into a precarious business situation, opening every day but feeling heavy-hearted because of the lack of customers and the mounting expenses. That's why they were happy that many people sympathized and came to support the restaurant.

According to Dan Tri reporter's investigation, the person behind the post is Mr. Huy Phong (born in 1975), owner of a small coffee shop on Hoang Sa street (Xuan Hoa ward, HCMC).

Mr. Phong said that the viral image above was made by him thanks to Chat GPT. At first, he only posted an article sharing his feelings about the situation of the restaurant being deserted, but he did not expect to receive so much attention from everyone.

"My daughter taught me how to use AI to create the images, and I wrote the content myself to make it emotional. I didn't ask for donations or money. I just asked people to stop by for a cup of coffee and a loaf of bread so I could have more reasons to open the shop every day.

After posting overnight, I was surprised to see that my Facebook had nearly 10,000 followers. For the past two days, the shop has always had customers, I am very happy," Mr. Phong shared.

Mr. Phong opened his coffee shop in 2019. After the Covid-19 pandemic, his business gradually declined. There were days when his shop only earned a few tens of thousands of dong. Recently, two coffee shops next to his shop closed down one after another, putting Mr. Phong under even more pressure.

"There were times when I wanted to give up, but I kept trying. Every day I open the shop is another day of struggling with the rent, electricity, water, taxes...", he said.

The past two days, the restaurant has been crowded with customers, making Mr. Phong even more excited. Although revenue has not improved much, it is still a great spiritual encouragement for Mr. Phong. According to him, this is "an unexpected joy, like celebrating Tet in the middle of the year".

"I still hope my coffee shop will gradually improve. If people like me, I have to do it properly. I have more confidence, but I still have to work hard. The important thing is to keep my heart in the profession, bringing delicious food and drinks to each customer," he said.

Customers come to the shop because of the healing story.

According to Dan Tri reporters on the afternoon of July 16, some customers came to Phong's shop to support him after seeing his post shared on social media. Some people sat down to enjoy coffee, bread and chat with the shop owner, others stopped by to buy take-out. The shop's atmosphere was friendly and simple, just like the spirit of the post conveyed.

The menu at the shop is diverse with juices, traditional coffee, iced milk coffee, kumquat tea, tamarind ice, smoothies and sausage sandwiches... Prices range from 20,000 to 40,000 VND for each dish. The price is considered reasonable, suitable for students, students, and office workers in the surrounding area.

The owner's post attracted the attention of netizens (Photo: Screenshot).

Ms. Truc Giang - a customer who came to the restaurant on the afternoon of July 16 - said that after reading Mr. Phong's post on social media, she decided to visit the restaurant to support him, partly out of curiosity and partly because she was touched by the owner's simple sharing.

"At first, I thought I would just come for a cup of coffee and then leave, as a way to show moral support. When I sat down, saw the way the owner treated the guests, and saw that everyone around also came out of sympathy, I suddenly felt lighter," she said.

Mr. Huy Phong was happy when many people came to support his restaurant after seeing his post (Photo: Moc Khai).

Ms. Giang commented that the food and drinks at the restaurant are just familiar dishes at affordable prices. For her, going to the restaurant is not only an act of economic support for someone in need, but also like participating in a healing story, where people connect through kindness and sincerity in the midst of stressful urban life.

"I think in this society, everyone has times when they feel tired and want to give up. Seeing others still trying their best, I also feel energized," she added.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/len-doi-sau-1-dem-quan-nuoc-e-khach-o-tphcm-gay-sot-nho-buc-anh-day-loi-20250716212629836.htm