Lee Young-ji: "Am I a boomer?" Conflict erupts on the opening day of Woozoo Rice Cake Shop Earth Branch No.

tvN spin-off variety show 'Woozoo Rice Cake Shop' marked a turbulent start from its opening day, as conflicts among the cast and unexpected situations unfolded. Tension reached its peak when Lee Young-ji, serving as the main chef and CEO, clashed with the staff over management styles.

The second episode of 'Woozoo Rice Cake Shop,' aired on the 7th, recorded an average nationwide viewership rating of 3.0% and 3.1% in the Seoul metropolitan area. The ratings for the key 2049 demographic—the core target for tvN—hit 2.3% nationwide and 2.6% in the metropolitan area, maintaining its position as the number one program in its time slot among cable and general programming channels for two consecutive weeks. According to Nielsen Korea, the peak rating in the metropolitan area soared to 4.0%, making it the top-rated program across all channels, including terrestrial ones, in its time slot.

Lee Young-ji's chaotic opening preparations as she bites into an apple at the ritual table

Prior to the official launch, Lee Eun-ji, Mimi, Lee Young-ji, and An Yu-jin gathered at the Woozoo Rice Cake Shop Earth Branch No. 1 to perform a traditional opening ritual (Gosa). During the ritual, main chef Lee Young-ji declared her determination, saying, "Even if we fight, let's fight in front of the camera, even if our pants get pulled down, let's do it in front of the screen, and may we overcome any discord, competition, or pain." Immediately following this statement, she performed an unexpected move by biting directly into an apple placed on the ritual table, foreshadowing the chaotic situations to come.

The members focused on learning rice cake recipes to build their menu. They prepared a variety of items, ranging from garae-tteok for tteokbokki to jeol-pyeon for Myeongnan Bajirak Star and baekseolgi for Chestnut Tiramisu. This process also revealed the practical difficulties of running a rice cake shop, such as cleaning equipment. Lee Young-ji expressed her sense of responsibility for the early chaos, stating, "I'm sorry for saying we're making rice cakes. It was just something I said in passing. I didn't think anyone would actually listen to me." During the soft opening stage, Lee Eun-ji proved her practical skills by handling difficult complaints from the production crew with polite apologies and tactful diplomacy.

Conflict erupts over the anxiety of having no customers: "Am I a boomer?"

The official opening day was far from smooth. Following a squabble between Lee Young-ji and Lee Eun-ji over aprons during their commute, rain and wind blew into the kitchen, forcing them to tidy up the household items. Above all, anxiety grew among the members as no customers arrived in the early stages. While Lee Young-ji was working hard to promote the shop, tension flared when An Yu-jin was caught focusing on taking photos instead.

When Lee Young-ji criticized An Yu-jin regarding the business management style, Lee Eun-ji and An Yu-jin expressed their disappointment toward a CEO who was solely focused on business, creating an atmosphere akin to a staff strike. Overwhelmed by frustration, Lee Young-ji poured her heart out to Mimi. "I'm the main chef and the CEO, so is it weird that I'm scolding people for taking photos during opening hours? Am I a boomer?" Lee Young-ji vented. In response, Mimi offered advice on staff management, and Lee Young-ji managed to turn the mood around by approaching the members, helping them with their aprons, and offering compliments.

A full house thanks to the village head's help and An Yu-jin's communication

Following the conflict, the members began to work together again. Mimi devoted herself to kitchen duties, continuously slicing jeol-pyeon even before orders came in. While Lee Eun-ji and An Yu-jin worked hard on street promotion to attract customers, Mimi successfully welcomed the first reservation customers with her excellent eloquence.

The atmosphere of the shop shifted dramatically with the support of the village head. With the village head's help, customers began to flock in, and the Woozoo Rice Cake Shop dining area was instantly filled to capacity, with a line of waiting customers forming. As the first day of business concluded amidst positive feedback from customers, An Yu-jin communicated with fans by posting photos from the filming site on her Instagram. When Lee Young-ji left a comment saying, "I miss An Yu-jin," fans responded by mentioning An Yu-jin's preference for not being called by her full name, commenting, "It's not An Yu-jin, it's just Yu-jin."

Division of roles within the Woozoo Rice Cake Shop management}

The Woozoo Rice Cake Shop staff operated according to their respective roles. Lee Young-ji, as the main chef and CEO, oversaw the kitchen and handled promotion. Lee Eun-ji was in charge of counter duties and handled practical responses to complaints from the production crew. Mimi was responsible for kitchen tasks, such as making jeol-pyeon, regardless of the order status, and An Yu-jin contributed to street promotion activities.