'Come back with your wife next time': South Korean restaurant sparks backlash for turning away people eating alone

In a surprising incident in South Korea, a noodle restaurant in Yeosu City, South Jeolla Province, drew widespread criticism after displaying a notice outside its premises stating that it would not serve customers who came alone. The sign attracted attention after a visitor photographed it and posted the image online, according to the Korea Times. The post circulated widely, sparking heated discussion.

The notice laid out four instructions for solo diners: they could “pay for two servings,” “eat two servings,” “call a friend,” or “come back with your wife next time.” A speech bubble on the sign read, “We don’t sell loneliness. Please don’t come alone.”

The message triggered strong reactions online. Many criticized the restaurant’s stance as outdated and unreasonable, questioning why eating alone was equated with loneliness and arguing that the business did not value its customers. However, some defended the policy, noting that the owner has the right to make such decisions even if it leads to financial loss.

In July, a woman dining alone at another Yeosu restaurant said staff told her to “eat quickly” because “more people are coming,” even though she had ordered two portions. Earlier this year, another establishment barred individual diners from watching a particular social media platform while eating, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

The controversy comes as South Korea experiences a shift in household composition. Single-person homes in Seoul rose from 29.5 percent in 2015 to 39.3 percent in 2023. More than 42 percent of people in the country are estimated to have at least one meal alone each day.

Gi-Wook Shin, a sociology professor at Stanford University, said South Korea needs to tackle prejudice against people living alone through structural measures.

In contrast, restaurants in China have embraced solo diners, offering set meals designed for one person. Analysts say this reflects China’s broader acceptance of the growing “single economy,” which caters to people living independently with products and services across food, property, leisure, learning, and household goods.