"Paid Restroom Use Required"…Debate Erupts at Tourist Spot Cafe

Children Asked to Order 'One Menu Per Person'
Netizens Point Out 'Using Cafe Restrooms Is Not Free'

A story about a customer being charged a 'restroom usage fee' at a cafe in the Hanok Village of Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, has become a hot topic.

On the 24th, a post titled "They told me to pay a restroom usage fee and leave at a certain cafe" was uploaded on an online community. In the post, a woman identified as A, who visited a cafe near the Hanok Village in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do with her husband and two children, claimed she experienced something unreasonable.

A customer who was asked to pay a fee to use the restroom at a cafe located in Jeonju's representative tourist destination, Hanok Village, has sparked mixed reactions among netizens.
[Photo source=Pixabay]

A said, "The moment I entered the cafe and was about to sit down, a man told me, 'Please order before sitting down.' So I hurriedly left my belongings and ordered two servings of red bean shaved ice at the counter, but they said each person must order one item."

She continued, "Since the kids had been eating slushies outside, I said we couldn’t order more drinks and that we would come back next time. As we were about to leave the cafe, they told us, 'Since the kids used the restroom, you need to order and take out one drink.' The kids’ hands were sticky, so they washed their hands in the restroom. When I asked, 'What do you mean by that?' the man looked at me intimidatingly. I said, 'Where is that even a thing?' and explained that if they wanted money, I was willing to pay for the water used in the restroom."

On the 21st, an online community 'BobaeDream' posted an article titled "They told me to pay a restroom usage fee and leave at a certain cafe." In this post, a woman named A, who visited a cafe near Jeonju Hanok Village in Jeonbuk with her husband and two children, expressed that she "experienced something unreasonable." [Photo source=Online community 'BobaeDream']

She said, "But my kind husband paid 7,500 won for one ice cream, thinking it was better to keep the peace, and we left the cafe. I even wondered, 'Was ice cream always this expensive?' When my husband paid, the staff told him, 'This is how it always is here,' as if it was normal. Is this really standard behavior in Jeonju?"

She added, "After checking the cafe’s receipt reviews, I found other reviews from people who felt upset after visiting the cafe, and realized that they have been acting this way all along."

Many netizens defended the cafe, saying, "At tourist spot cafes, some people just use the restroom and leave without ordering, so they might ask for a restroom usage fee." However, some responded, "Charging a restroom usage fee is too much."

One netizen also pointed out troublesome customers at tourist spots, commenting, "These days, most cafes require one menu item per person. Since many people use the restroom and leave without ordering at cafes in tourist areas, I heard it causes a lot of stress. I feel sorry for using the restroom, so I usually order a drink and just forget about it."

"Cafe restrooms are clearly 'private spaces'"

In the online community "Apeunikka Sajangida," where self-employed individuals are mainly active, issues related to "using restrooms within business premises" are often posted. The photo is not related to any specific content of the article. [Photo by Pixabay]

Unlike in the past when restroom doors were wide open, most cafe restrooms now have password locks. The reason is clear. If outsiders come and go frequently, the restrooms get dirty quickly and customers complain a lot. Especially cafes located in busy areas struggle with managing visits from intoxicated people and homeless individuals. The topic of 'restroom use within business premises' is a common subject in online communities mainly frequented by self-employed business owners.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.