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Solo dining used to be a social taboo in South Korea. Today, younger Koreans have increasingly embraced the trend as empowering as the number of single-person households continues to rise.
PHOTO: Theodore Nguyen
PUBLISHED ON November 26, 2025 4:50 PM BY Sean Ler
There may be no laws against dining alone, but a noodle eatery in South Korea has courted controversy after refusing to serve solo diners, even putting up a sign to list four sarcastic "options" for them.
The sign, placed outside a noodle eatery in Yeosu City, South Jeolla province, went viral after it was posted by a potential customer on Nov 17, The Korea Times reported.
The controversial sign put up by a noodle eatery in Yeosu City, South Korea. PHOTO: Social media
The four "options" for customers eating alone are: pay for two servings, eat two servings, call a friend, or come back with your wife next time.
At the end of the four options, the sign goes on to say: "We don't sell loneliness. Please don't come alone."
The post, which has been viewed over 300,000 times, sparked robust discussions with several netizens criticising the restaurant.
"The mindset of the owner seems outdated," one netizen said, while another asked: "Why label someone who eats alone as lonely?"
Some expressed disbelief that the mindset still exists.
But others felt the restaurant was free to decide its own policy.
Said one netizen: "If the owner is willing to take the financial hit, it's their choice and should be respected."
This is not the first time restaurants in Korea have been called out for discriminating against solo diners, also known as "honbap" customers.
In July, another restaurant in Yeosu was called out after a solo diner was asked to "eat quickly" because "more people are coming", despite having ordered two servings.
According to the South Korean Ministry of Interior and Safety, the number of single-person households grew to 10.1 million in 2024.
The increase in the number of young Koreans delaying marriage and choosing to live alone after university or after getting a job was highlighted as a factor behind the rise in single-person households.
The World Happiness Report 2025 found that South Korea had the highest rate of eating dinner alone among G-20 nations.
Gi-Wook Shin, a sociology professor at Stanford University, said South Korea needs to address its bias against single people in a systematic way to ensure protection for housing and welfare for them.
Thankfully for Singapore, the city state's dense, fact-paced urban lifestyle has long normalised solo dining.
asia
'We don't sell loneliness': Korean eatery sparks debate after refusing solo diners
South Koreans have the highest rate of eating dinner alone among G-20 nations, according to the World Happiness Report 2025
Solo dining used to be a social taboo in South Korea. Today, younger Koreans have increasingly embraced the trend as empowering as the number of single-person households continues to rise.
PHOTO: Theodore Nguyen
PUBLISHED ON November 26, 2025 4:50 PM BY Sean Ler
There may be no laws against dining alone, but a noodle eatery in South Korea has courted controversy after refusing to serve solo diners, even putting up a sign to list four sarcastic "options" for them.
The sign, placed outside a noodle eatery in Yeosu City, South Jeolla province, went viral after it was posted by a potential customer on Nov 17, The Korea Times reported.
The four "options" for customers eating alone are: pay for two servings, eat two servings, call a friend, or come back with your wife next time.
At the end of the four options, the sign goes on to say: "We don't sell loneliness. Please don't come alone."
The post, which has been viewed over 300,000 times, sparked robust discussions with several netizens criticising the restaurant.
"The mindset of the owner seems outdated," one netizen said, while another asked: "Why label someone who eats alone as lonely?"
Some expressed disbelief that the mindset still exists.
But others felt the restaurant was free to decide its own policy.
Said one netizen: "If the owner is willing to take the financial hit, it's their choice and should be respected."
This is not the first time restaurants in Korea have been called out for discriminating against solo diners, also known as "honbap" customers.
In July, another restaurant in Yeosu was called out after a solo diner was asked to "eat quickly" because "more people are coming", despite having ordered two servings.
According to the South Korean Ministry of Interior and Safety, the number of single-person households grew to 10.1 million in 2024.
The increase in the number of young Koreans delaying marriage and choosing to live alone after university or after getting a job was highlighted as a factor behind the rise in single-person households.
The World Happiness Report 2025 found that South Korea had the highest rate of eating dinner alone among G-20 nations.
Gi-Wook Shin, a sociology professor at Stanford University, said South Korea needs to address its bias against single people in a systematic way to ensure protection for housing and welfare for them.
Thankfully for Singapore, the city state's dense, fact-paced urban lifestyle has long normalised solo dining.
