In the Revised Step 2, Small Local Cafes Are Limited to Takeout Only

An announcement regarding social distancing is installed at a cafe inside a shopping mall in Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Due to the elevation of social distancing to Level 2 starting from the 24th, all cafes will be prohibited from in-store dining and will only be allowed to offer takeout and delivery. Previously, under Level 2, only franchise-type cafes were subject to these restrictions, but under the newly revised five-level distancing system, all cafes and bakeries are included.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, stated at a briefing on the 22nd, "The revised distancing measures do not limit cafes to franchise cafes only," adding, "It should be understood that all cafes and bakeries are subject to these measures."

Under the previous distancing system, cafes were classified as medium-risk facilities, but the quarantine rules such as restrictions on in-store use applied mainly to relatively large franchise-type cafes. This was applied based on the actual business model; even if operated as a direct management type like Starbucks, cafes where customers could gather densely were subject to quarantine rules. This was a measure to prevent crowding in indoor spaces above a certain size.

Since the beginning of this month, the distancing system has been adjusted to five levels, and under the newly established system, all cafes primarily selling beverages will be subject to the rules regardless of their type. While small neighborhood cafes were previously exempt, going forward, all cafes and bakeries will be uniformly subject to these measures to minimize the possibility of transmission. Under Level 2 distancing, no cafes may accept customers for in-store dining and may only provide takeout and delivery. This measure is based on the assessment that the risk of infection increases because masks must inevitably be removed when eating or drinking.

Restaurants may operate in-store until 9 p.m., after which only takeout and delivery are allowed. However, for small to medium-sized restaurants with a facility area of 50㎡ or more, at least one of the following must be strictly observed: maintaining a 1-meter distance between tables, leaving one seat or table empty, or installing partitions. Additionally, buffet-style establishments must follow extra rules such as using hand sanitizer and disposable gloves before and after using shared utensils, and maintaining spacing while waiting.

If these quarantine rules are violated, facility managers face fines up to 3 million KRW, and users face fines up to 100,000 KRW. Any violation results in immediate application of a one-strike-out policy, which includes a ban on gatherings.