Daejeon Queue Hell: My Weekend Run for Sungsimdang's Mango Roll (Full Timeline, Route Tips, and a Must-Have Cooler Bag)

A mango fanatic binge-watched one too many mango-roll mukbangs and, thoroughly tired of Seoul, set off on a day trip to Daejeon.

I've been visiting Daejeon for nearly 10 years, but over the past 2–3 years Sungsimdang's lines have become so extreme that I've given up and walked away several times.

This time, I was determined to line up before opening.

🕢7:28 a.m. — Arrive at Daejeon Station

A quick introduction for international visitors who are new to Daejeon!

Located between Seoul and Busan, Daejeon is especially easy to reach for travelers using the KTX.

It may not have the glamour of Seoul or Busan, but it has hot springs accessible by public transportation♨️ (Yuseong Hot Springs), a large arboretum🌿 (Hanbat Arboretum), a mountain🏔️ (Mt. Bomunsan), and a lake✨ (Daecheongho Lake).

There are also several department stores, plenty of good restaurants, and inviting cafés,

so you can enjoy the pleasures of the city as well.

Highly recommended if you are tired of the bustle and noise of Seoul and Busan.

🕢7:28 a.m. — Sungsimdang Daejeon Station Branch (There was already a line)

The official opening time for Sungsimdang Daejeon Station Branch is 7:30 a.m., but a line had already formed.

I even saw customers who had already paid and were leaving. Staff, what time did you actually open??

My original itinerary

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face."😂

On the way to Jeongdong Munhwasa, I recommend walking through Yeokjeon Market. It offers a look at a traditional Korean market—not fancy, but full of warmth and energy.

🕢7:43 a.m. — Arrive at Jeongdong Munhwasa

I received queue number 20—a perfectly manageable spot.

Jeongdong Munhwasa was traveler-friendly, with storage lockers and several tables where visitors could eat.

🕢7:55 a.m. — Arrive at Sungsimdang Main Store (No line)

Although it was still before the official 8 a.m. opening time, the store was already open and crowded.

Some items were already sold out. What time had those customers arrived?

As you probably know, Sungsimdang sells a huge variety of bread. Since the store had opened early, I did not expect every item to be available yet.

That was why I had debated whether lining up before opening was worthwhile. More shelves were stocked than I expected, but plenty of items were still missing.

At 8 a.m., the shelves seemed to hold the faster-selling classics first, including Bomunsan Meari, Matcha Twiso, melon bread, onion bread, sausage bread, Myeongnan Baguette, and more.

Staff were constantly bringing out more bread, but if you want the widest possible selection, I recommend visiting after 10 or 11 a.m.

For reference, I was told that the Choco Baguette comes out after 9 a.m.😂

I planned to visit several Sungsimdang locations anyway, so I paid quickly and left before the crowds grew.

By the time I finished paying, a line had already formed. (As of 8:08 a.m. 🕢)

Do not aim for exactly 8 a.m. or arrive after 8. I recommend getting there at least 10 minutes before the official opening time!!

Once you are inside the bakery, there is no fixed route, so you can take your time choosing and wait for more bread to come out.

🕢8:08 a.m. — Sungsimdang Sandwich Station 🥪(No line)

It was quieter than expected, and several employees were handling checkout. There are 4–5 registers and, although I did not take a photo, a rack where you can leave bread purchased at Sungsimdang. There also seemed to be enough room beside it to set down a suitcase briefly—a traveler-friendly touch!

It is smaller than the Main Store, but as a newer space it is clean and thoughtfully designed.

I came for the French Mango and Yakisoba Bun, but the French Mango was sold out. An employee said it would take about 40 minutes, so I headed to Sungsimdang Cake Boutique.

🕢8:14 a.m. — Sungsimdang Cake Boutique (30 minutes to get inside)

The line wrapped around the Cake Boutique building and continued into the underground parking garage.

The line doubled back several times even inside the garage, though people were spaced fairly far apart. A line of this length took 30 minutes.

If you only plan to buy rolls and cakes, you can usually wait less at Sungsimdang Siru Cake Shop.

I visited Cake Boutique because I also wanted slices of cake and other baked goods.

Seeing the instructions and route guide as soon as I entered put me at ease.

Unlike the Main Store, Cake Boutique is too narrow to wait around for bread or double back, and the layout does not encourage customers to move freely. I recommend that you plan what you want to buy in advance before you go in.

Of course, the stock had other plans. I wanted a packaged slice of Matcha Roll, but it was sold out.

But a friend who entered about 13 minutes after me said several packaged slices of Matcha Roll were available.

It all comes down to luck. Even if you line up before opening, you can still miss what you want.

Several roll cakes—including Sunsu Roll, Matcha Roll, and Yogurt Roll—are limited to one per person.

With the day's high reaching 22°C, I was worried that the whipped cream would melt, so I asked for a cooler bag and ice packs to be included.
Highly recommended ★★★★★

They said it would keep everything cool for up to 7 hours, and they included 3 ice packs. It costs extra, but the cooler bag (₩3,500) is exceptionally sturdy. Considering the quality of the ice packs (₩1,000), it felt like the bare minimum needed. A detailed review—along with a recommendation for the bread-storage service—is coming soon.

I stopped by Sungsimdang Sandwich Station again, bought the French Mango, and came out at 9:03 a.m.

🕢9:03 a.m. — Photo of the line at Sungsimdang Main Store

There was a baseball game that day. When I passed Sungsimdang Main Store again at 6 p.m. before heading home, the line stretched all the way to the building beside the tteokbokki shop across the street.

The wait was still going strong...

Conclusion

• If you are going to line up before opening, commit and arrive properly early!

• Choose Sungsimdang Siru Cake Shop over Cake Boutique!!

For a morning run at Sungsimdang Main Store, this is the most efficient route:

1. First, buy cakes and rolls at Cake Boutique, which had the longest line. Cakes are genuinely heavy even without the ice packs.

2. Leave the cakes and rolls on the rack at Sandwich Station while you buy sandwiches, then place the sandwiches there too.

3. After paying for bread at the Main Store, take the connecting stairs directly into Sandwich Station, collect everything from the rack, and leave.

If it is not very crowded, you might be able to enter the Main Store directly from Sandwich Station and shop for bread. But that raises an etiquette question, and since I did not try it myself, I cannot say whether it is actually allowed.