Dog-friendly Gumi café with choco baguette: Otters Jisan Saetgang

Why we chose Otters Jisan Saetgang Main Branch in Gumi

I'm the one who's been wanting to try a choco baguette ever since I saw it on Instagram — that's me! While hunting for a place that sells it, I figured a big bakery café was my best bet, so I headed to Otters, a large café in Gumi, planning to grab some doughnuts for the kids and have a quiet chat too. Big cafés really are the best for sitting and talking for hours, and with the bright weather bringing out Otters' signature colors, I ended up taking a bunch of photos at the photo zone that day.

Otters and Holy&Jolly: location and parking

It's Otters & Holy&Jolly. You don't need to head out to a big city to get Holy&Jolly's solid doughnut lineup with its chewy, generous filling — it's all right here in this store. As a bakery café, the regular bread lineup is varied too, but here you really have to grab at least one or two of the doughnuts.

The parking lot is so spacious you could practically drive laps in it, so there's zero parking stress. It's located at 11 Seonsan-daero, Gumi, Gyeongbuk, South Korea, and open daily from 11:00 to 22:00.

What the crème brûlée doughnut is like

The moment I saw the three Holy&Jolly doughnuts, I grabbed the crème brûlée one. A doughnut with a sweet caramel coating on the outside and cream packed inside — how could I not eat it? It's plain cream, but it's not greasy at all, just clean and pleasantly sweet.

1pm, when all the bread is out on the shelves

I visited around 1pm after lunch. I realized this is exactly the right time to come, because every spot on the bakery shelf was full, not a single gap. Everything was gently covered with plastic wrap, which felt hygienic. Seeing the otter's bread recommendations made it easy to choose that day — I picked the choco baguette I'd already had in mind and a melon cream bread that looked delicious.

Here's a handy tip: if you spend ₩25,000 or more and turn on alerts for their Naver Place coupon, you can get a free iced tea, salt bread, or doughnut — your choice of one.

The toast bread looked delicious too, and I thought a light brunch of a hot dog with a drink would be nice. I love bread with chocolate in it, and I was happy to see plenty of chocolate options like the thousand-layer pain au chocolat and choco bomb baguette. They also cut the baguette into easy-to-eat pieces for you.

Seasonal sweet potato latte at Otters

With the changing season, my throat felt a bit scratchy and I wanted something warm — and sure enough, Otters, this big Gumi café, delivered. Their seasonal menu was already out, so I ordered the sweet, sweet potato latte. My friends went for an iced americano and an iced caffè latte.

Can you bring kids and dogs to Otters Jisan Saetgang?

Otters' first floor has a nursing room and a diaper-changing table, and dogs are welcome too as long as you bring a crate or stroller. Since it was a weekday afternoon, there were quite a few guests who'd come with their dogs — I got to see plenty of cute pups while sipping my drink.

The second floor has floor seating tables and a spacious group seating area. There aren't many cafés you can go to with a large group for a family gathering or get-together with friends, but with such a roomy interior, Otters, this big Gumi café, is a comfortable choice even for bigger groups.

Even though we'd just eaten, the bakery shelves were generously stocked, and you can even pack up leftover bread yourself at the self-packing station. Picking out one bread after another that we wanted to try, we ended up with quite a haul. Sweet bread and drinks always give me a mood boost!! Well, if you've come to a big Gumi café, you might as well go all in like this.

Where the otter logo comes from

The cute otter logo is Otters' signature. It's said to be inspired by the otter, a natural monument found at Jisan Saetgang Park nearby. So that's why seeing the cute otter on the cups and plates always puts me in a good mood!

A moist, delicious doughnut paired with a drink. It had been a while since I had a sweet drink with a sweet dessert, but it really suited the warm autumn drink. Still, part of me thinks americano is the way to go with something sweet, haha.

If you love dessert, this is one big Gumi café you have to visit. The drink and dessert lineup changes with the seasons, so it feels fresh every time you go. And don't forget to snap a photo at your favorite photo zone — go visit for a sweet dessert and drink.