| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Porksta
Joined: 05 May 2011
|
 Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 1:48 am Post subject: Minimum Food Orders? |
 |
|
| Many times I have gone into a restaurant by myself to get some food. Unfortunately, several times after going in and ordering, I have been told that there is a minimum of two orders needed. It isn't like they are busy, there are open seats everywhere. Is this a common thing to refuse service and say no to money? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 1:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
Some menu items are minimum 2 orders. It will say next to the item 2 + chinese character for persons.
Most gogi places are minimum 2 orders. Some soups/stews are minimum 2 orders, less its lunchtime and they might offer single serving versions.
Just ask. No need to get offended by it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Porksta
Joined: 05 May 2011
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 1:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I'm not offended by it, it just seems odd to say no to a customer when you aren't busy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Lazio
Joined: 15 Dec 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 1:59 am Post subject: |
|
|
| They are not rude. You just need learn which ones can be single portion meals and which ones are available for at least 2 persons and up, than pick restaurant and food accordingly. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Porksta wrote: |
| I'm not offended by it, it just seems odd to say no to a customer when you aren't busy. |
Most restaurants will make an exception for foreigners...especially if you look at them with puppy eyes and plead, "Jusseyo!".
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 3:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Lazio wrote: |
| They are not rude. You just need learn which ones can be single portion meals and which ones are available for at least 2 persons and up, than pick restaurant and food accordingly. |
Yeah, but what if you're happy to order the 2-person set for yourself? They'll still probably turn you away......I suspect it's more to do with inflexibility and an extremely adhered to eating culture.
Like the ajumma waitress in my favorite kimchi chiggae restaurant who doesn't want to accept that I want my rice on the right of my chiggae bowl and not the customary left side. She comes over every now and then, pretends to do something, then moves my rice bowl back to the left side!! I know the reasons why......rice on the right side is done at funerals or something........but I think it's very Korean that she is willing to potentially piss off a customer to follow tradition. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
singerdude
Joined: 18 Jul 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:47 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Many places like Samgyeopssal restaurants require a 2 order minimum because of all the side dishes included. It isn't worth it for them to go through all of the setup and cleanup just for one order. One order isn't enough for me anyway, so I usually order two when I'm by myself. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jonpurdy
Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Location: Ulsan
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
| eamo wrote: |
Yeah, but what if you're happy to order the 2-person set for yourself? They'll still probably turn you away......I suspect it's more to do with inflexibility and an extremely adhered to eating culture.
|
No, they'll serve you the 2-person set. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
| eamo wrote: |
Yeah, but what if you're happy to order the 2-person set for yourself? |
Whenever I'm told it's for two people, I just tell them to give me two orders and they happily oblige. I've never been refused in this regard.
Typically it's BBQ places that have such rules. I suppose it's because of the cost involved in cleaning the grills and whatnot. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
motiontodismiss
Joined: 18 Dec 2011
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 4:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| madoka wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
Yeah, but what if you're happy to order the 2-person set for yourself? |
Whenever I'm told it's for two people, I just tell them to give me two orders and they happily oblige. I've never been refused in this regard.
Typically it's BBQ places that have such rules. I suppose it's because of the cost involved in cleaning the grills and whatnot. |
This is pretty retarded.
Given these facts:
1. the owner's bought & paid for the meat
2. the owner's bought & paid for the sides and everything else
3. the owner's already paying the employees
4. the restaurant is still open, and all of the utilities, rent and other miscellaneous costs are getting paid out anyway
5. the restaurant's half empty (and it's not a peak hour)
I would think that it makes more sense to accept a single order with maybe a surcharge. An extra 2,000 won for the fixins, grill grates, and charcoal instead of turning the customer away. I'd be willing to pay the surcharge over ordering two portions, which is too much for me. Or for single portions, cook it in the kitchen and serve it on one of those cast-iron sizzle plates.
Given the shift in the population in Korea (fewer people getting married, more singles, fewer kids) I would think it makes more business sense to embrace these singles.
Now I would have a "1XL" order for these singles that are about 1.3-1.5 times the price of a single order and about 1.3-1.5 times the amount (e.g. 6 ounces for 1 portion, 8-9 ounces for a 1XL). For me 1 portion isn't enough, 2 portions are too much. I've seen places that have a minimum order of three portions which is even more retarded but those places tend to have smaller portions in the first place (110g vs. 180-200g)
As for the rice bowl on the right and soup on the left or whatever, tell the ajumma you're left-handed. I'm left-handed and I eat that way and nobody says a thing about it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| motiontodismiss wrote: |
| madoka wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
Yeah, but what if you're happy to order the 2-person set for yourself? |
Whenever I'm told it's for two people, I just tell them to give me two orders and they happily oblige. I've never been refused in this regard.
Typically it's BBQ places that have such rules. I suppose it's because of the cost involved in cleaning the grills and whatnot. |
This is pretty retarded.
Given these facts:
1. the owner's bought & paid for the meat
2. the owner's bought & paid for the sides and everything else
3. the owner's already paying the employees
4. the restaurant is still open, and all of the utilities, rent and other miscellaneous costs are getting paid out anyway
5. the restaurant's half empty (and it's not a peak hour)
I would think that it makes more sense to accept a single order with maybe a surcharge. An extra 2,000 won for the fixins, grill grates, and charcoal instead of turning the customer away. I'd be willing to pay the surcharge over ordering two portions, which is too much for me. Or for single portions, cook it in the kitchen and serve it on one of those cast-iron sizzle plates.
Given the shift in the population in Korea (fewer people getting married, more singles, fewer kids) I would think it makes more business sense to embrace these singles.
Now I would have a "1XL" order for these singles that are about 1.3-1.5 times the price of a single order and about 1.3-1.5 times the amount (e.g. 6 ounces for 1 portion, 8-9 ounces for a 1XL). For me 1 portion isn't enough, 2 portions are too much. I've seen places that have a minimum order of three portions which is even more retarded but those places tend to have smaller portions in the first place (110g vs. 180-200g)
As for the rice bowl on the right and soup on the left or whatever, tell the ajumma you're left-handed. I'm left-handed and I eat that way and nobody says a thing about it. |
Or, the owner can just make everything REAL simple and say "minimum order of 2".
Why not just try what you just suggested. When the owner says "No, we only do orders for 2" just tell them you will pay extra for the trouble. If they THEN turn you away, then they lose your business. Why dwell on it? They aren't supporting you. Their success/failure as a restaurant has no impact on you.
For example, there is a Food Delivery place that only does minimum 2 orders to deliver. I don't order from them and instead I order from a place that can deliver single food orders.
Consumer Choice. Isn't capitalism great? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bekinseki
Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Location: Korea
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 6:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| It's probably because they want to discourage people from going there alone. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
KNet229
Joined: 02 Jan 2012
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 7:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
yeah sometimes they can't make something into 1 order due to the ingredients and the way they prepare it.
i've also had issues where if you go with 4 people and only order 3 things they get annoyed. even so to the point where they require the group to order 4 things or leave. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| KNet229 wrote: |
i've also had issues where if you go with 4 people and only order 3 things they get annoyed. even so to the point where they require the group to order 4 things or leave. |
If that happened to me, I would complain. Hasn't happened to me though. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| motiontodismiss wrote: |
This is pretty retarded.
Given these facts:
1. the owner's bought & paid for the meat
2. the owner's bought & paid for the sides and everything else
3. the owner's already paying the employees
4. the restaurant is still open, and all of the utilities, rent and other miscellaneous costs are getting paid out anyway
5. the restaurant's half empty (and it's not a peak hour)
I would think that it makes more sense to accept a single order with maybe a surcharge. An extra 2,000 won for the fixins, grill grates, and charcoal instead of turning the customer away. I'd be willing to pay the surcharge over ordering two portions, which is too much for me. Or for single portions, cook it in the kitchen and serve it on one of those cast-iron sizzle plates. |
so if you had a restaurant and someone wanted you to sing and pantomime "i'm a little teapot" before you served them would you? would you do it if they offered you 2 extra dollars for your inconvenience? just because someone CAN, doesn't mean that they SHOULD. and don't forget people, it's not just the portions that are calculated, it's the space. one person taking up a whole table is bad business no matter what way you slice it. i think it makes perfect sense for the bbq places not to want to serve singles. i wouldn't either if it were my restaurant if it were in korea.
| motiontodismiss wrote: |
Given the shift in the population in Korea (fewer people getting married, more singles, fewer kids) I would think it makes more business sense to embrace these singles. |
how many people do you actually see go out by themselves to eat at a bbq place? just because you are single doesn't mean you don't have friends, co-workers, dates, etc.
| motiontodismiss wrote: |
Now I would have a "1XL" order for these singles that are about 1.3-1.5 times the price of a single order and about 1.3-1.5 times the amount (e.g. 6 ounces for 1 portion, 8-9 ounces for a 1XL). For me 1 portion isn't enough, 2 portions are too much. I've seen places that have a minimum order of three portions which is even more retarded but those places tend to have smaller portions in the first place (110g vs. 180-200g) |
if a large group of foreigners (the only people who'd actually do this offer) came into my restaraunt all trying to figure out what portion size of meat they wanted i'd point them right back to the door. these places make money by moving people in and out quickly while maximizing booze consumption, not by sitting around waiting for people to try and add up exactly how many ounces they will be eating.
| motiontodismiss wrote: |
As for the rice bowl on the right and soup on the left or whatever, tell the ajumma you're left-handed. I'm left-handed and I eat that way and nobody says a thing about it. |
this has nothing to do with what hand you use to eat. it's a cultural thing. i am primarily right handed but having rice on my left hand side isn't going to make me cry and it's still not hard to eat it. trying to tell an adjumma that you're left handed in this situation is like driving on the right lane in japan just because that's how you normally do it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
