Unauthorized Takeout at 8,000-Won All-You-Can-Eat Restaurant: "Packed 26 Pork Cutlets Tightly in a Kimchi Container"

A Consumption Structure Born Out of Recession: All-You-Can-Eat Buffets
Moral Hazard and Unauthorized Removal Leave Small Business Owners Sighing
From Recession to Disorder: Consumer Ethics Under Threat

"There was even someone who tried to cram 26 pork cutlets into a 10-liter kimchi container and take them out, but got caught."

On April 1 during lunchtime, a restaurant near Guro Digital Complex Station in Seoul was packed with over 100 office workers. While the establishment turns into a pub after sunset, during lunch it offers unlimited pork cutlets, jjamppong, sweet and sour pork, and various seasoned vegetables for 8,000 won per person. Despite the flood of customers, the expression on manager Kang Pureun (aged 33) was complicated. A warning posted on the wall—"There have been repeated cases of people being caught sneaking out food"—reflected her concerns. Kang said, "A few days ago, a man in his 30s tried to walk out with 17 pork cutlets stuffed in his backpack, but we caught him because his back was sticking out so oddly." She added, "This is not a rare occurrence."

On the afternoon of the 1st, a buffet-style restaurant entrance in Guro-gu, Seoul, displayed a notice warning against unauthorized removal of food. The notice included the owner's grievances, such as a case where 26 pork cutlets were taken away in a kimchi container. Photo by Hosoo Park

With the sharp rise in dining-out prices, all-you-can-eat restaurants—where customers pay a set amount and eat as much as they like—have become a popular choice. These businesses are structured as a win-win model, allowing operators to reduce labor costs and customers to save on dining expenses. However, problems such as unauthorized removal of food have continued to occur.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency’s comprehensive price information portal on April 6, the average price of a roll of gimbap in Seoul in February 2026 was 3,800 won, up 7.4% from a year earlier. Kalguksu (9,962 won) and samgyetang (18,154 won) rose by 5.3% and 4.7%, respectively. Bibimbap, once considered an affordable dish, averaged 11,615 won, and naengmyeon 12,538 won. With the recent Middle East crisis driving up oil prices and exchange rates, some analysts expect prolonged inflationary pressures.

As finances tighten, young people are sharing information about cheap eateries through platforms like "Geoji Map" (literally "Beggar Map"), and pubs that struggle to break even with just evening business are increasingly serving lunch as well. In office areas like Guro-dong and Gasan-dong, these buffet-style restaurants have rapidly proliferated, with one or two appearing in nearly every building.

On the afternoon of the 1st, office workers are serving food to use the unlimited refill buffet priced at 8,000 won for lunch at a pub in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hosu Park

During the economic downturn, the rules at buffet-style restaurants boasting unlimited refills are based on voluntary order among patrons. However, some exploit these loopholes, and such moral laxity manifests as unauthorized packing and removal of food. Jung Insook (59), who runs a Korean buffet near Gasan Digital Complex Station, said, "One of my regulars was once caught bringing a large delivery container and shoveling in vegetables." She added, "My hands were shaking from the sense of betrayal." She continued, "Even when I suggested we go to the police, the customer didn’t apologize and just insisted, 'I live alone and was planning to eat it for dinner.' It drove me crazy."

Customers attempting to sneak out food range in age from their 20s to their 70s. As a result, business owners sometimes share information about habitual offenders who go from restaurant to restaurant. Even if a restaurant offers unlimited side dishes, unauthorized removal is a clear crime, and offenders can be charged with theft.

Restaurant owners are especially sensitive because of their razor-thin, high-volume business model. Kang said, "We only make a little over 1,000 won per person," and sighed, "We even announced that people in need could come after closing and we’d feed them for free, but instead of asking for help, the number of people who sneak food out keeps rising. It’s disheartening."

The restaurant industry is stuck in a trap of recession-driven growth, where sales increase but profits shrink. According to a management status survey of restaurant businesses by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Rural Economic Institute, the average annual sales per restaurant in 2024 were 255.26 million won, a 41.1% increase compared to 2021. However, the operating profit margin dropped from 12.1% to 8.7% during the same period, as operating costs like ingredients and labor rose faster than sales.

Experts warn that distorted consumer behavior, such as unauthorized removal of food, can further undermine the vulnerability of the restaurant industry. Kim Siwol, professor of consumer science at Konkuk University, said, "The new consumption patterns created by the recession are now spreading into issues of order and threatening the survival of small business owners." She added, "The moral laxity that has emerged alongside the expansion of value-for-money consumption sadly illustrates how the order of mutual benefit is being destroyed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.