[Edaily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] “Space Rice Cake Shop,” where aespa’s Karina joined as a part-time worker for the day, set a record for its highest-ever sales on the first day of operations at its Seoul location.

Episode 8 of tvN’s “Space Rice Cake Shop,” which aired on the 18th, was packed with highlights—from the Seoul store’s first evening shift with the capable part-timer aespa’s Karina to the second day of business, which featured a welcome visit from Yang Hee-eun. The episode recorded a nationwide household viewership rating of 2.2%.
As Lee Eun-ji, Mimi, Lee Young-ji, and Ahn Yu-jin kicked off the evening shift on the Seoul store’s first day of business, part-time worker Karina joined the team. After successfully completing her first task—making pomegranate ade—Karina proved to be a true all-rounder, handling floor service, clearing tables, washing dishes, and restocking ingredients. She effectively served as a vital support for the overwhelmed staff as they struggled to keep up with the flood of orders.
However, a mishap occurred when Lee Eun-ji accidentally discarded the order slip, resulting in the shrimp burgers and mint carrot cakes for Table 4 being omitted. To make matters worse, Lee Eun-ji only informed the kitchen that the shrimp burgers were missing, so the finished burgers were delivered to Table 5 instead of Table 4.
As the kitchen became frantic upon hearing the news of the missed order again, Ahn Yu-jin—who was in charge of the mint carrot cake—mixed up the order of adding the castella flour and mint cream, and made the same mistake while trying to remake it. In response, Mimi comforted the flustered Ahn Yu-jin and even stepped in to fry the potato puffs herself, demonstrating the poise of a sous chef.
Even amidst the frantic pace, Karina handled her part-time duties with poise. Eventually, Lee Eun-ji suggested, “Lina, can’t you just stay at our dorm for just one night?” but Karina—known for never making empty promises—remained silent, prompting laughter.
Having recorded a record-high sales figure of 1,082,800 won on their first day of business—a clear sign of their continued growth—the Jirak members launched the “Boutzolokia Pizza,” made with sticky rice dough, and the sweet-and-sour non-alcoholic drink “Goheung Sea Margarita” on their second day of business. However, they encountered an unexpected obstacle. The “Goheung Sea Margarita” would spill at the slightest movement, making it difficult to serve. Lee Eun-ji, who was in charge of that menu item, came up with the ingenious idea of setting up a Margarita preparation area in the second-floor pantry.
Meanwhile, Yang Hee-eun, a devoted fan of the “Ppung Ppung Earth Arcade” series, accepted an invitation from the “Jirak” members and visited the Seoul store. Lee Eun-ji took photos of Yang Hee-eun at the photo zone and kindly explained the menu to her.
“Space Rice Cake Shop” is a show that follows the “Jirak” members as they become part-time workers at the shop—thanks to Torongi’s scheme—handling everything from rice cakes to cooking. As a spin-off of “Earth Arcade,” which starred Lee Eun-ji, Mimi, Ahn Yu-jin, and Lee Young-ji, it’s delivering a fresh wave of entertainment.