Popular Hamburger Joint, Still Boringly Lining Up These Days? You Need to Use Your Time Well [Youth Report]

'Zero-Stage Culture' of Spending Time Elsewhere After Waiting Registration
Go Back to Store Entrance When It's Your Turn
Enduring Waiting Time for a Special Experience

Yang (28), a third-year office worker, recently installed a mobile queueing application to visit a hamburger restaurant located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Yang placed a queue through the app, but there were already about 60 teams waiting ahead. While waiting for his turn, Yang decided to browse clothes at a nearby clothing store with acquaintances. He said, "Waiting in front of the store endlessly is boring, so I decided to queue and go shopping," adding, "Since I can look around the area while waiting, I try to view waiting positively these days." He also added, "After a long wait, entering the store gives a sense of accomplishment."

Recently, a new term called '0-cha culture' has emerged among young people. It refers to the practice of placing a queue at popular restaurants or cafes first, then moving to other places to spend time. Instead of standing still in line in front of the store, they use that time to visit pop-up stores or accessory shops. This is related to the characteristic of young people who want to use their time efficiently.

'Waiting Culture' Led by the MZ Generation

Last December, citizens were waiting for the opening in front of the first Tim Hortons coffee shop in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Among young people, 'waiting' has already become a familiar culture. On social networking services (SNS), certification photos taken after entering popular stores following a long wait are continuously posted. In fact, searching '#웨이팅' (#Waiting) and '#오픈런' (#OpenRun) on Instagram yields about 195,000 and 131,000 posts respectively.

Young people tend to willingly endure waiting longer compared to other age groups. For example, even if it takes several hours to enter a 'hot place,' they accept some inconvenience for the special experience they can get at the store. Moreover, with the emergence of restaurant reservation apps like 'CatchTable' and 'Tabling,' the waiting culture has accelerated further.

In fact, a survey showed that the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) is leading the 'Open Run,' one of the waiting cultures. According to a survey conducted by market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor on 1,000 adults aged 19 to 59 nationwide, 47.4% of respondents had experienced an Open Run. By age group, 20s showed 94.7%, 30s 91.6%, which was overwhelmingly higher compared to 40s (38.6%) and 50s (5.5%).

Seeking '0-cha Places' to Prepare for Long Waiting Times

[Image source=Getty Images]

Young people appear to first look for places to go as '0-cha' to prepare for long waiting times. Jeon (27), an office worker, said, "These days, waiting is essential wherever you go," adding, "I first find a restaurant and then search for nearby cafes or pop-up stores where I can kill time." He continued, "You can stand in line in front of the store, but if you have to wait a long time, the waiting time feels wasted," and said, "It's better to use that time to have a meaningful time."

The '0-cha culture' can be seen as a culture reflecting young people's tendency to use time as efficiently as possible. It is related to trends that emphasize time efficiency, such as the 'Buncho Society' (living by racing against every second and minute to maximize time efficiency) and 'SiSeongBi' (value for time). In other words, the '0-cha culture' can be seen as part of efforts to use waiting time productively without wasting it.

In fact, Professor Kim Nando of Seoul National University, author of 'Trend Korea 2024,' cited the 'Buncho Society' as one of this year's major trends. At a book briefing, Professor Kim explained, "These days, people do not do just one thing but multiple things simultaneously. Many people divide their time like gold."