"They Scooped Sikhye With the Dishes They'd Eaten From..." Restaurant Owner Stunned by Customers' Behavior

Disposable Cups Were Provided, but Customers Scooped Sikhye with Their Used Dishes
Restaurant Owner Voices Hygiene Concerns

A restaurant owner who had been offering customers free Sikhye said they were concerned about some customers' unhygienic way of serving themselves. The owner said customers repeatedly used the dishes they had eaten from to scoop up Sikhye, then put the ladle back into the communal container. The owner even provided separate disposable cups, but similar incidents continued, prompting them to ask whether they were being overly sensitive.

An image generated using artificial intelligence (AI) to help readers understand the article. Gemini

Recently, a post titled "Customers Serving Themselves Sikhye Unhygienically" appeared on the online community for self-employed business owners, "Because I'm Sick, I'm the Boss." The owner, identified as A, said the restaurant lets customers serve themselves Sikhye and has disposable paper cups available for those who want more. However, some customers brought over the dishes they had used for their meals and scooped up Sikhye with the communal ladle instead of using the cups provided.

A's concern was not so much the way customers served themselves Sikhye as the fact that used dishes and the ladle came into contact with the communal container. If a shared ladle touches a dish with food residue on it and is then put back into the Sikhye container, the Sikhye other customers drink could become contaminated.

A said they had personally seen a customer put the ladle back into the Sikhye after it touched a used dish. "I'm not sure what to do when I'm worried the Sikhye could be contaminated: take the ladle out or leave it there without taking any action," the owner said.

Another concern is that quite a few customers behave this way. A said many of the restaurant's older customers serve themselves Sikhye this way and asked whether it would be appropriate to stop them individually at the restaurant.

Other self-employed business owners who saw the post suggested changing how customers serve the Sikhye. One commenter advised installing a dispenser that pours the drink through a spout, like a slush machine, instead of having customers scoop it out with a ladle. Other suggestions included putting up a separate notice in the area where the Sikhye is served or having a staff member check it regularly.

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