"Tour Group Promised to Buy Coffee but Only Used Restrooms and Left"... Cafe Owner Outraged

"Not Even a Cup of Coffee Bought"
Public Outrage Over Small Business Owner's Story

Outrage has spread after the story of a small business owner was shared online, describing how a group of customers who arrived on a tour bus used only the cafe's parking lot and restrooms before leaving without making a purchase.

A, who runs a cafe in Gangneung, Gangwon, shared a photo of a group tour bus. A's Instagram

A, who runs a cafe in Gangneung, Gangwon, reported the incident on their social networking service (SNS) account on the 24th, saying, "You really experience all sorts of things while running a business," and added, "It's not just that I feel terrible; I've completely lost faith in people."

According to A, around 11 a.m. that day, a man visited the store and asked if there was space to park two tour buses, saying he would buy coffee to go. In response, A asked for the exact time of their visit, and the man replied that they would arrive between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m.

A then asked other customers for their understanding and reserved parking spaces in advance to accommodate the group. A said, "Since I was told a group was coming, most of the customers who would have otherwise stayed longer left around the time the group was expected to arrive."

However, the group did not buy any coffee upon arrival. A said, "They came, parked, took a walk, used the restroom, and just left. They didn't even take out a single drink."

A continued, "If they were going to do this, they shouldn't have come at all. I was in pain all morning, running around producing extra items and managing the parking lot despite a herniated disc, sweating profusely, just because I heard a group was coming." A also expressed frustration, saying, "They have no conscience."

A particularly pointed out that the tour bus had the name of a university in Gyeonggi Province written on it, saying, "Don't go around causing trouble like this while displaying your school name."

The following day, on the 25th, A decided to temporarily close the cafe. A said, "In the seven years since opening the cafe, I have never closed for even a single day," and added, "My wife is so mentally exhausted that she doesn't want to be at the store."

Readers who came across the story criticized the behavior of the group tourists. Comments included, "Is the cafe a rest stop?", "They acted thoughtlessly as a group," and "The university should apologize."