"Click! Gotta Post on SNS"... 'Small Luxury' for 20s and 30s Cools Down Amid High Inflation

Search Volume Down 85% in 3 Years
Number of Japanese Restaurants Closing on the Rise
Demand for Expensive Dining Falls as Spending Tightens
Value-for-Money Buffets Gaining Popularity Over Omakase

The omakase craze, once considered the quintessential "small luxury" among people in their 20s and 30s, appears to have cooled significantly. With prolonged high inflation and shrinking consumer spending, the burden of expensive dining has increased, shifting the focus of dining-out consumption towards reasonably priced mid-range buffets.

According to Naver Data Lab, search volume for "omakase" peaked at 100 in January 2023, but has steadily declined to 15 as of last month. This represents an 85% decrease in search volume over about three years, falling even below the pre-pandemic level of 20 recorded in May 2019.

A similar trend is evident in the restaurant reservation market. According to Catch Table, a real-time restaurant reservation platform, "Japanese omakase," which ranked first in the dining category in both 2023 and 2024, fell out of the rankings last year. This suggests that the once fierce competition to secure omakase reservations for special occasions has waned.

Closures of omakase establishments are also continuing. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, 2,593 Japanese restaurants, including Japanese omakase establishments, closed from 2023 through May this year. This is a larger number than the 1,821 Chinese restaurants and 624 cafes that closed during the same period. Industry insiders cite rising restaurant prices and diminished consumer spending power as the main reasons for the decline in omakase’s popularity. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics’ “Consumer Price Trends for May 2026,” the Consumer Price Index last month reached 119.92, up 3.1% from the same month a year earlier. The Living Necessities Price Index also rose by 3.3%, further increasing the perceived burden of living costs.

The Fall of Omakase, Once a Symbol of Dining Trends for Special Occasions

Just a few years ago, omakase was a dining trend that symbolized special occasion spending among the younger generation. While people typically saved money on meals by eating at student cafeterias or workplace canteens, so-called "dual spending" became widespread, with many opting for omakase meals costing over 100,000 won per person on birthdays, Christmas, first dates, and other special occasions.

Customers lined up in long queues waiting outside a buffet restaurant in Seoul. The Asia Business Daily

The culture of sharing on social media was also cited as a factor fueling the omakase craze. Japanese media highlighted the popularity of omakase in Korea in 2023, analyzing it as a symbol of luxury consumption among young Koreans. At the time, prices at major omakase restaurants in Seoul reached over 100,000 won for lunch and 200,000 won for dinner, yet remained highly popular among couples and special occasion visitors in their 20s and 30s.

As high inflation persists, consumers’ criteria for dining choices are changing. According to industry experts, demand is growing for value-focused dining that allows people to enjoy a variety of menu items for the same price, rather than spending hundreds of thousands of won on a single expensive meal.

Mid-Priced Buffets Take Center Stage as Omakase Fades

As the high cost of omakase meals becomes burdensome, mid-priced buffets where one can enjoy meals, desserts, and some alcoholic beverages for 10,000 to 50,000 won per person continue to grow in popularity. Ashley Queens, the flagship buffet brand run by E-Land Eats, currently operates 122 locations nationwide and recorded 500 billion won in revenue last year. E-Land Eats is maintaining its performance improvement with Ashley Queens at its core, and the restaurant industry points to the demand for "cost-effective dining" amid high inflation as the background for the buffet sector’s growth.

Affordable omakase meals can be burdensome, but mid-priced buffets offering meals, desserts, and some alcoholic beverages for 10,000 to 50,000 won per person continue to grow. The Asia Business Daily

CJ Foodville's “VIPS” is also expanding its number of outlets, increasing from 25 in 2022 to around 35 nationwide at present. "Take," a new buffet brand launched by Ourhome, is also showing promising signs of establishing itself in the market, with both sales and visitor numbers exceeding initial targets since opening.

Some experts believe that dining-out consumption is being reorganized towards greater value for money, rather than simply shrinking overall. During the COVID-19 period, expensive dining served as a form of "small reward" amid limited outdoor activities. Recently, however, spending has become more diversified—towards travel, hobbies, or asset-building—resulting in a decrease in spending large sums on a single meal.

An industry source commented, "Rather than giving up on dining out altogether, consumers are evaluating whether they can get more variety and experiences for the same price." The source added, "In an era of high inflation, brands that prioritize practicality and satisfaction over premium status are likely to attract more attention." If omakase once represented "show-off consumption" among people in their 20s and 30s, today’s dining market is shifting toward "value-driven consumption." As the trend moves away from expensive gourmet dining toward reasonable prices and guaranteed satisfaction, competition within the restaurant industry is also changing.

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