**[Corgi Goes Viral in Silicon Valley with "Corgi Girls" Marketing: Boldly Claims to Open 100 Cafes in Six Months, Second Location Shut Down After Two Weeks]** Beating AI Newsflash: The AI insurance company Corgi, which previously gained fame in Silicon Valley through its "Corgi Girls" marketing strategy, has been trying another approach to attract customers: opening cafes. This summer, the company announced plans to open 100 round-the-clock cafes in San Francisco within six months. These cafes were intended to provide entrepreneurs with spaces for work and socializing, using gatherings, events, and networking to attract potential clients, who would then be pitched business insurance. However, the expansion quickly ran into trouble. Corgi initially had 16 lease agreements close to being signed but suddenly paused the process, later laying off its expansion director and some team members. Additionally, three signed locations in San Francisco have yet to open. Operational challenges have also arisen. Corgi's second San Francisco location, which opened in September, was ordered to shut down after just 13 days due to a lack of valid health permits. The *San Francisco Chronicle* later discovered that the location's building renovation permits were also incomplete. Nearby residents filed appeals, accusing the establishment of being "an office disguised as a cafe," further complicating efforts to reopen. Turning buzz into business has proven even harder than opening stores. *The San Francisco Standard* interviewed three attendees of the second location's opening event and found that none of them had any need for insurance, with one attendee even unaware that Corgi was an insurance company. While the sample size is small, it highlights the limitations and awkwardness of this marketing model. [Original Article Link]