Mixed Reactions from Netizens on the Story of a Woman Managing News
Food Service Establishments Set Food Portions and Prices Based on Adult Standards
A woman’s experience at a pork cutlet specialty restaurant has sparked mixed reactions among netizens. On the 26th, a post titled "Is it a nuisance if an adult orders a kids' menu?" was uploaded on the online community Nate Pann. The author, Ms. A, shared an incident she experienced on the 25th at a pork cutlet specialty restaurant in her neighborhood apartment complex.
Ms. A, a woman in her 30s who visited the pork cutlet restaurant for a meal, told the owner, "I have a small appetite, so if I order the adult pork cutlet, the portion is too large, and I can only eat about half," and requested, "If I order the adult portion and leave food, it creates food waste, and it’s a pity to throw it away or take leftovers home, so please give me the kids' pork cutlet."
A woman's experience at a pork cutlet specialty restaurant has sparked mixed reactions among netizens. On the 26th, a post titled "Is it a nuisance for an adult to order a children's menu?" was uploaded on the online community Nate Pann. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Pixabay]
The regular pork cutlet at this restaurant was priced at 12,000 won, and the kids' pork cutlet was 6,000 won. In response to Ms. A’s request, the owner said, "The kids' menu is literally for children, with less profit margin, and is offered as a service to customers who come with children, so we are sorry but we cannot serve the kids' menu to adults."
However, the woman insisted again, saying, "It’s really because I eat very little." The owner politely refused once more. Then the woman said, "Then I guess there’s nothing I can do," and left the restaurant. Ms. A concluded her post by asking, "In cases like this, should restaurants sell kids' pork cutlets to customers who eat less? I’m curious about others’ opinions."
Netizens’ opinions on Ms. A’s story were divided. Some responded, "It is indeed a nuisance," and "No matter how little you eat, an adult is still an adult." On the other hand, some defended her, saying, "Can’t even ask? She didn’t throw a tantrum, she just left, so it doesn’t seem like a nuisance."
Meanwhile, some netizens suggested solutions such as, "Why not set different prices for pork cutlets by size?" and "Ask to pack half before eating and only order half." One netizen added, "Kids’ menus are calculated with the assumption that children don’t come alone but with adults, so profits are combined with adult menus. Naturally, if only one kids’ menu is ordered alone, it’s awkward from the owner’s perspective."
Most Restaurants Set Adults as Their Main Customers
As dining-out prices continue to soar early this year, a menu board displaying increased prices is posted at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@
In the food service industry and other self-employed businesses, there is a concept called 'average spending per customer' (客單價). This average spending is the amount calculated per order (whether individual or group) and is very important in the food industry. Most restaurants set adults as their main customers. Therefore, the quantity and price of food are determined based on the average adult customer.
Excluding infants, the pricing assumes that every customer occupying a table orders at least one menu item. Since children cannot finish a menu item equivalent to the adult average, it is difficult for them to order an additional main dish. Therefore, restaurants offer kids' menus as products for customers dining with children. In other words, from the restaurant’s perspective, the kids' menu is a form of consideration that provides smaller portions at a lower price, even if it means less profit. The kids' menu is both a courtesy from the restaurant owner and a so-called conditional loss leader designed to generate profit.
Kids’ sets generally fall under side menus rather than main dishes at most restaurants. Therefore, depending on the situation, kids’ sets can either increase or decrease the average spending per customer. For this reason, restaurants neither sell kids’ sets alone nor classify them as main dishes but rather as side menus.
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