The cafe was bustling on New Year's Day.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, the streets usually become quieter as many shops close for the break. However, this year, during the Year of the Horse, many cafes remained open throughout the holiday, becoming ideal meeting places for people to gather after traditional ceremonies, share joy, and express their hopes for the new year.

Some cafes remain open throughout the Lunar New Year holiday.

In central areas of wards such as To Hieu, Chieng Coi, Chieng Sinh, Chieng An, or along National Highway 6, many restaurants announce they will be open throughout Tet, even opening from the night of the 29th of Tet to welcome customers after the New Year's Eve countdown.

On the first day of Tet (Lunar New Year), the atmosphere at Cafe 11 in To Hieu Ward wasn't overly noisy, but the number of customers remained quite steady. After exchanging New Year's greetings, many families chose the cafe as a stopover. Groups of young people, dressed in traditional ao dai, took the opportunity to capture some photos for the new year. Some people who had worked far from home returned to their hometowns and met at the cafe to catch up after a busy year.

Unlike on ordinary days, the pace at the cafes is slower and more relaxed. Amidst the lively spring music, the spaces are adorned with fresh flowers and red couplets, creating a warm and spring-like atmosphere. The menu remains largely unchanged, with the cafes prioritizing consistent drink quality to provide a familiar experience for customers.

Many young people choose cafes as a place to gather during Tet (Lunar New Year).

The number of customers visiting cafes remains stable.

Ms. Lo Huyen Trang, owner of Cafe 11, shared: "We want to create a pleasant space for customers who want to go out during the first days of the new year. The plan to stay open throughout Tet was calculated in advance, but the final decision still depended on actual demand and staffing availability. In the days leading up to Tet, the number of customers inquiring about service schedules increased significantly, which gave us more motivation to maintain operations."

According to Ms. Trang, the number of customers during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year) increases threefold compared to normal days, evenly distributed throughout the day, not concentrated in one fixed time slot. To ensure continuous service, the quán (cafe/restaurant) proactively imports ingredients early and plans ahead to avoid shortages. During Tet, the quán applies a special menu from the 29th of the 12th lunar month to the 5th day of the new year, and drink prices are adjusted upwards by 10-15% to compensate for operating costs.

Many cafes are investing in decorating their spaces for Tet (Lunar New Year) to attract customers.

Also choosing to stay open throughout the Tet holiday, Chill Coffee and Tea in Chieng Coi ward opened its doors from the night of the 29th and welcomed customers after New Year's Eve. On the 1st day of Tet, the shop served from 10 AM to 11 PM, and from the 2nd to the 4th day, it opened earlier, starting at 9 AM.

Mr. Do Canh Duy, owner of Chill Coffee and Tea, said: "In recent years, after finishing New Year's greetings and having meals with family, many people tend to go out to find a coffee shop to chat and relax. We seized on that habit and decided to stay open throughout the Tet holiday."

According to Duy, costs increase significantly during Tet (Lunar New Year), from employee salaries to ingredient prices. Therefore, the shop adds a surcharge of 10,000 VND per drink. While the usual price ranges from 30,000-55,000 VND per drink, it rises to 40,000-65,000 VND per drink during Tet. Labor costs are 2-3 times higher during Tet, and ingredient prices also increase. The surcharge is to balance costs. Even so, staying open throughout Tet is also an opportunity to attract customers while many other shops temporarily close.

Observations show that most restaurants operating during Tet (Lunar New Year) apply a surcharge of 5-20% or add 5,000-10,000 VND per dish. In addition, many places invest in floral displays and spring-themed photo corners to create a focal point and attract young customers.

Cafes decorated with miniature landscapes attract customers during Tet (Lunar New Year).

Contrary to the trend of price increases, Chang's Cafe in Thuan Chau commune chose to keep prices unchanged during Tet. The cafe only closed for two days, the 29th of the 12th lunar month and the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, and resumed normal operations from 7 am to 10 pm from the 2nd day onwards.

Ms. Luong Thi Quynh Trang, owner of Chang's Cafe, said: "The number of customers during this period has increased by about three times compared to normal days. We kept the prices as a token of gratitude, a way of 'giving' our customers who have supported us throughout the past year. Not charging extra fees means lower profits compared to raising prices, but in return, the cafe receives positive support from regular customers."

Many young families choose this cafe because of the Tet (Lunar New Year) atmosphere it's decorated to create.

Young people check in at the cafe during Tet (Lunar New Year).

People's Tet (Lunar New Year) customs are gradually changing; after family reunions, many choose to go out for coffee and meet friends to liven up the atmosphere and have a more relaxed conversation. For those who don't return to their hometowns, shops and restaurants that stay open throughout Tet become even more essential, meeting the need for socializing during the spring season while also creating business opportunities for service establishments during this peak period.

Cafes with attractive decor, perfect for taking photos, are a popular choice among young people.

The fact that many cafes remained open throughout New Year's Eve and served customers in the first few days of the new year shows the responsiveness of businesses in meeting people's needs; the cafe spaces in early spring become meeting points, creating a vibrant blend of old traditions and new life.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/xa-hoi/quan-ca-phe-soi-dong-ngay-dau-nam-moi-27exlevDg.html