Full Price Even After the Meat Ran Out? Public Turns Cold Over All-You-Can-Eat Restaurant Story

Criticism over claims there were no refunds or discounts
"Complaints are understandable, but swearing is inappropriate," some admit

A story about a dispute with a customer at an all-you-can-eat restaurant because the food had run out was made public, but it instead faced a wave of criticism.

On the 21st, a post titled "Look at the customer who cursed because the food ran out at my mom's all-you-can-eat place" was uploaded to an online community. The poster, Mr. A, wrote, "My mother runs an all-you-can-eat thinly sliced pork belly restaurant," adding, "Because it was Friday, there were many customers, and the meat ran out before 9 p.m."

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

The restaurant offers unlimited refills of thinly sliced pork belly and beef brisket for 20,900 won per person, and it closes at 10 p.m. According to Mr. A, the customers in question were a group of eight people, consisting of four men and four women, who arrived at around 8 p.m. When staff informed them later that refills were no longer possible because the meat stock had run out, some of the customers protested, raised their voices, and even used abusive language. Mr. A lamented, "I can understand that they might have felt bad, but isn't it wrong to swear at an older person?"

"If it's all-you-can-eat, you must meet the basics" ... backlash instead

Online reactions were different from what Mr. A had expected. Many internet users pointed out problems with how the restaurant was run. Comments included, "If refills were going to be difficult, they shouldn't have accepted more customers," "If you're promoting all-you-can-eat, stock management is fundamental," and "If the meat ran out, they should have offered a partial refund or a discount."

A story that an all-you-can-eat restaurant had a dispute with a customer because the food had run out was made public, but it instead faced public criticism. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

One commenter criticized, "They charged the full price but failed to provide the promised service," adding, "It was the restaurant that created a situation where they were bound to be cursed at in the first place." Another user pointed out, "On a Friday evening at peak time, they should have secured enough stock." Some also raised the possibility of consumer disputes. Since the business model is built around advertising "all-you-can-eat" front and center, they argued that if a core menu item runs out early, the restaurant needs to respond reasonably with measures such as prior notification, offering alternative menu items, or adjusting the price.

Similar cases keep recurring... the key is 'prior notice' and 'compensation'

On the other hand, there were also many opinions that the customers' response was inappropriate. Typical reactions included, "You can complain, but swearing is going too far," and "It seems both sides reacted emotionally." Some commented, "They should have asked for a refund and left politely," assessing that it was a situation where both sides were left with regrets.

Similar controversies have repeatedly arisen in the past.

Among them were cases where popular menu items at all-you-can-eat chicken or meat restaurants ran out early, or refills were restricted right before closing time, leading to conflicts. At some hotel buffets, certain popular dishes have run out sooner than expected, prompting consumer complaints. In response, many establishments have since introduced specific guidelines such as: restricting entry before closing time, clearly stating refill cut-off times, offering alternative menu items, and providing information on partial refunds or discounts, thereby reducing disputes.