"I'll Come to Pick Up 50 Samgyetang"... Restaurant Outraged Over 750,000 Won 'No-Show' Damage

Story Shared Through Self-Employed Community
Customer's Contact Information Disclosed... "Will Require Deposits for Reservations from Now On"

A restaurant has reported suffering damages of approximately 750,000 won after a 'no-show' incident involving an order for 50 portions of Samgyetang.

According to the online self-employed business owners' community 'Because It Hurts, It's the Boss' on April 20, a business owner identified as A, who has been running a health food restaurant for five years, posted about a recent incident, stating, "I never thought I would have to write about something like this."

On April 18, around 6 p.m., A received a takeout order for 50 portions of Samgyetang from a man. The man said, "I will come to pick them up at 7 p.m. on the 19th."

At the time of the order, the man repeatedly confirmed the quantity and amount, then requested a copy of A's business registration certificate, saying, "I need to get company approval." When A asked for the reason, as the situation was unusual, the man instead asked A to send a photo of a business card.

A took a photo and sent it, then prepared the food according to the reserved quantity. However, after that, the man could not be reached by phone and ultimately did not show up on the 19th either.

Samgyetang packed at a health food restaurant affected by a 'No-show' incident [Image source=Captured from the 'Because It Hurts, It's the Boss' community]

A said, "There are many large companies and partner firms in the area, so corporate cards are often used, and I usually did not take deposits for reservations," admitting, "I was complacent."

He continued, "It's not just about the money. I kept having a strange feeling, but I feel angry at myself for working so hard and ending up feeling like a fool."

He added, "When I checked the community just in case, I found there were many similar cases. If I hadn't seen those posts, I might have waited for that customer until closing time."

A shared the man's phone number in the community, warning other self-employed business owners to be cautious. He also announced that, starting the next day, he would begin requesting deposits from existing customers as well, after explaining the situation to them.

According to the legal community, intentional no-show incidents that disrupt business operations can be subject to legal penalties. In such cases, if the offense is recognized as obstruction of business by fraudulent means, the perpetrator may face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 15 million won. However, it is known to be difficult to impose practical legal sanctions due to the challenge of proving intent.