"Spent Over 60,000 Won, Yet Asked to Order More Drinks?"...Online Uproar Over 'One Drink Per Person' Policy

'One drink per person' rule applies even after ordering sandwiches, soup, and cake

After the story spreads, many share similar experiences

A debate has arisen after a story emerged about a customer at a cafe who ordered over 60,000 won worth of food but still had to order an additional drink because of the "one drink per person" policy.

Ordered menu and receipt disclosed by the post author. Thread capture

"Ordered Over 60,000 Won, But..." Ended Up Adding Another Coffee Due to 'One Drink Per Person' Rule

On July 26, a post was uploaded to a social networking service (SNS) thread, sharing a cafe experience accompanied by photos of the food and the receipt.

The author, identified as A, reported that they visited the cafe with four adults and a 35-month-old child, ordering "four sandwiches, three coffees, one soup, and one cake."

The receipt disclosed by A showed an order totaling around 67,100 won, including ricotta and jambon-beurre sandwiches, mushroom soup, chocolate cake, and cafe latte.

However, the cafe staff informed the group that it was mandatory to order at least one drink per person, so A explained that, in the end, an extra coffee was ordered.

A expressed disappointment, saying, "This was a cafe I liked enough to visit often, but after hearing that guidance, I lost my affection for the place. Now I don't think I’ll be coming back."

Many Share Similar Stories... Some Understand the Policy

Online, many users commented that they were disappointed by the cafe's response.

One user pointed out, "Even counting the child, if five people ordered more than 60,000 won, that's more than what you'd pay for a typical meal. The staff seemed inflexible." Other commenters wrote, "While I can understand one menu per person, one drink per person is excessive," and "Policies like this make people choose franchise cafes instead."

Others shared similar experiences. One user commented, "Since there weren’t any suitable drinks for my elementary school child, we ordered several cakes and pastries, but because of the 'one drink per person' rule, we ended up ordering another coffee anyway."

On the other hand, some thought the store’s policy should be respected. These users said, "If the 'one drink per person' rule was announced in advance, it should be followed," and, "If the cafe sources their desserts and bread from outside, profit margins are low, so the store’s position is understandable."

The photo is not related to the content of the article. Pixabay

Ongoing Controversy Over 'One Drink Per Person'... Divided Opinions on Exceptions

The "one drink per person" policy at cafes has been a recurring source of debate online.

Cafe owners explain that, since groups sometimes order a minimum number of drinks and stay for extended periods, it's necessary to have orders that match the number of people.

Many people agree with the need for such operational guidelines, but argue that flexible application is necessary in certain situations. They suggest that when customers order expensive items like bingsu, brunch, or cake—or when the total amount is sufficient for several people—the "one drink per person" rule shouldn't be applied rigidly.

This controversy isn't limited to cafes. Restaurants have also faced similar debates over requiring every member of a party, including infants and young children, to order a menu item.

In May, the JTBC program "Incident Captain" highlighted a case where a restaurant asked a customer with a two-year-old child to order additional food for the child. At that time, even though the customer ordered a two-person set of Gochujang Bulgogi, the restaurant insisted on one extra portion due to the presence of two infants. Opinions online were divided between respecting business owners' right to set policies, and considering exceptions based on the situation.

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