"I want to enter at 7 p.m. on Saturday. If you can get a waiting number for that time slot and send me a verification photo, I will transfer the payment."

Recently, a new type of transaction-buying and selling restaurant waiting numbers-has been booming as people try to avoid the so-called "waiting hell." The surge in experiential consumption, where people visit restaurants featured on Netflix's "Black and White Chef Season 2," has intensified the competition to secure a spot in line. This experiential consumption trend has become even more active as it is shared widely through social networking services (SNS).

Posters of Netflix's "Black and White Chef" Season 1 and Season 2.

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A scene from Netflix's cooking competition reality show "Black and White Chef: Culinary Class War" Season 2. Official Netflix Korea YouTube channel.

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Still from Black and White Chef 2. Provided by Netflix

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As of January 2, secondhand trading platforms are flooded with posts offering to sell screenshots of waiting numbers from waiting apps or to stand in line on behalf of others for an hourly wage of over 10,000 won. On weekends or during the holiday season, premiums are the norm. Some sellers are asking for as much as 100,000 to 400,000 won per reservation ticket, or even auctioning them off to the highest bidder, effectively making the price whatever someone is willing to pay.

Shin Jaeseong, a 39-year-old office worker in Busan seeking someone to stand in line at a popular pizza place, said, "I really want to try this famous pizza, so I am looking for someone to help." Lee Suyeon, 26, said, "I love sweet foods and pistachios, and I am searching secondhand platforms because I want to try 'Dubai Jjondeuk Cookie.'"

A transaction post related to waiting agency posted on the secondhand trading platform 'Danggeun'. Screenshot from Danggeun.

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In fact, reservation competitions and waiting in line have become essential rites of passage when visiting popular restaurants. According to a sample survey of Korean smartphone users by WiseApp Retail, the number of monthly users of major restaurant reservation and waiting apps jumped from 1.02 million in August 2022 to 2.91 million as of August this year-nearly tripling in three years.

Heo Kyungok, professor of Consumer Industry at Sungshin Women's University, said, "Buying and selling waiting numbers is a personal choice, and for restaurants, it can serve as an effective marketing tool." However, she also pointed out, "It is true that there are social costs in terms of excessive time and money spent. Consumers should avoid being swayed merely by a restaurant's reputation for long lines and make rational choices."