Comments on: Golden Arches and Lousy Service http://www.fatmanseoul.com/2008/08/21/golden-arches-and-lousy-service/ seoul food for people who love to eat Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:06:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: fatmanseoul http://www.fatmanseoul.com/2008/08/21/golden-arches-and-lousy-service/comment-page-1/#comment-161 fatmanseoul Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:47:01 +0000 http://www.fatmanseoul.com/?p=124#comment-161 Fatman doesn't have a problem with Korean people sitting for a few hours over a single menu item, or splitting something larger . . . it's part of the culture here, and in a place where you can't really socialize at home, these cafes and restaurants fulfill an important social role also. Moreover, most of these places know the place they hold - it was only with the entry of McDonalds into the Korean market that it became an issue. McDonalds, unlike the local scene, depended on high turnover to make their profits, and Fatman actually really admires the way in which they were able to turn to local culture to find a solution that fit. Of course, now Koreans understand expectations, and the company has managed to be both successful and culturally flexible. That's pretty darned cool. Another fascinating adaptation is these couple sets - since Koreans tend to eat out to socialize, not because they want to consume an entire double bacon cheeseburger with fries and appetizer and soda, things like couple sets and shared meals have become something that the market has decided to cater to instead of fight. Fatman can't see TGIF going out of business anytime soon just because five teenage girls go in there and split a bunch of appetizers. And just for comparison, while the American Bennigans has gone bankrupt, Bennigans Korea is still going gangbusters. Fatman can't see Korea enforcing any kind of time limit on sitting. Restaurants go out of business regularly in Myeongdong because the rents are sky high, not because Koreans take their time over their cup of joe. In the meantime, lots of places don't bother making people move on and seem to be plenty successful. Most places seem to know the needs of the market well, and have either found culturally appropriate ways of encouraging the table time they require, or by altering their own market strategy to accommodate the local style. Fatman doesn't think we should put up with bad service, but ain't nobody gonna pry us out of our comfy Coffee Bean couch before closing ^_^ Fatman doesn’t have a problem with Korean people sitting for a few hours over a single menu item, or splitting something larger . . . it’s part of the culture here, and in a place where you can’t really socialize at home, these cafes and restaurants fulfill an important social role also. Moreover, most of these places know the place they hold – it was only with the entry of McDonalds into the Korean market that it became an issue. McDonalds, unlike the local scene, depended on high turnover to make their profits, and Fatman actually really admires the way in which they were able to turn to local culture to find a solution that fit. Of course, now Koreans understand expectations, and the company has managed to be both successful and culturally flexible. That’s pretty darned cool. Another fascinating adaptation is these couple sets – since Koreans tend to eat out to socialize, not because they want to consume an entire double bacon cheeseburger with fries and appetizer and soda, things like couple sets and shared meals have become something that the market has decided to cater to instead of fight. Fatman can’t see TGIF going out of business anytime soon just because five teenage girls go in there and split a bunch of appetizers. And just for comparison, while the American Bennigans has gone bankrupt, Bennigans Korea is still going gangbusters.
Fatman can’t see Korea enforcing any kind of time limit on sitting. Restaurants go out of business regularly in Myeongdong because the rents are sky high, not because Koreans take their time over their cup of joe.
In the meantime, lots of places don’t bother making people move on and seem to be plenty successful. Most places seem to know the needs of the market well, and have either found culturally appropriate ways of encouraging the table time they require, or by altering their own market strategy to accommodate the local style.
Fatman doesn’t think we should put up with bad service, but ain’t nobody gonna pry us out of our comfy Coffee Bean couch before closing ^_^

]]> By: impolite one http://www.fatmanseoul.com/2008/08/21/golden-arches-and-lousy-service/comment-page-1/#comment-160 impolite one Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:17:00 +0000 http://www.fatmanseoul.com/?p=124#comment-160 A good topic here, as this is something that permeates restaurant/cafe culture in Korea. I am merely a patron at these places, but it still burns me up to see Koreans lingering at fast-food joints, or sharing single-dish 'cheap' items betwen two or more people, slicing the restaurant revenue in half, and having the nerve to take their time. I suppose that is the wannabe restaurateur in me getting mad. As time marches on, what will most likely happen, in my view, is that restaurants and fast-turnover cafes will have to set a time limit on seats, as is the case with most places in urban Japan. 2 hours seems to be the maximum there, and people comply with that voluntarily. Partially because it reflects on their own manners, and partially because the Japanese have been abroad enough to know that it paints a picture on their whole society when stuff like this happens. I imagine that when Korea does it, it will probably be first implemented in Myongdong on the weekends. The reality of real estate/turnover. Most of those places in Myongdong can't make any money for this very reason, so they all eventually end up shuttering. In Korea, the current and past scenario has been to stand at a busy coffeeshop holding your freshly ordered drink, while a roomful of people sitting in couches with no drinks study, loiter, and give you really dirty looks. One really needs to brace themselves for a fight if they think they're gonna get a seat in one of those Cafe Pascucci's or the coffeeshops in COEX? The other way that shops have tried to combat this is to offer the 'couple/family sets' that include a main dish and then a secondary high-margin item that is supposed to fill the need for a full-size 2nd dish, intended for sharing between 2 people and stopping the washout of revenue that happens when people share a single-person dish, but I don't think this is effective enough. It's just another menu option with set choices that aren't as attractive, and they have to slash the prices on them to make them attractive. A good topic here, as this is something that permeates restaurant/cafe culture in Korea. I am merely a patron at these places, but it still burns me up to see Koreans lingering at fast-food joints, or sharing single-dish ‘cheap’ items betwen two or more people, slicing the restaurant revenue in half, and having the nerve to take their time. I suppose that is the wannabe restaurateur in me getting mad.

As time marches on, what will most likely happen, in my view, is that restaurants and fast-turnover cafes will have to set a time limit on seats, as is the case with most places in urban Japan. 2 hours seems to be the maximum there, and people comply with that voluntarily. Partially because it reflects on their own manners, and partially because the Japanese have been abroad enough to know that it paints a picture on their whole society when stuff like this happens. I imagine that when Korea does it, it will probably be first implemented in Myongdong on the weekends. The reality of real estate/turnover. Most of those places in Myongdong can’t make any money for this very reason, so they all eventually end up shuttering.
In Korea, the current and past scenario has been to stand at a busy coffeeshop holding your freshly ordered drink, while a roomful of people sitting in couches with no drinks study, loiter, and give you really dirty looks. One really needs to brace themselves for a fight if they think they’re gonna get a seat in one of those Cafe Pascucci’s or the coffeeshops in COEX?

The other way that shops have tried to combat this is to offer the ‘couple/family sets’ that include a main dish and then a secondary high-margin item that is supposed to fill the need for a full-size 2nd dish, intended for sharing between 2 people and stopping the washout of revenue that happens when people share a single-person dish, but I don’t think this is effective enough. It’s just another menu option with set choices that aren’t as attractive, and they have to slash the prices on them to make them attractive.

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