Café Etiquette in Korea

It often starts before you even enter the café. Before going inside, take a quick look around the entrance for any signs and check the business hours. The last order time is especially important. If that has already passed, it’s usually best to just look for another café. I can pretty much guarantee there’ll be another one nearby.

As for signs, one particularly important thing to look out for is whether outside food and drinks are forbidden. If you’re walking around with a Monster Energy in hand, you should probably finish it before you go inside. The same goes for snacks you bought somewhere else.

Not every café has this rule, but many of them do. And honestly, it’s understandable since outside food and drinks can cut into their sales.

Taking a few seconds to check these things before you enter can save you from an awkward or embarrassing interaction later, so it’s definitely worth doing.

Some cafés have signs that clearly state you need to order at least one item per person, while others simply treat it as an unspoken rule. If an employee notices, they’ll probably let you know. But just to avoid any surprises, it’s a good rule of thumb to order at least one item per person.

I understand why this rule exists, although I don’t entirely agree with it in every situation. Some cafés don’t even have single seats, so if you’re alone, you might already be sitting at a table meant for two people. There’s basically no chance a stranger is going to sit down next to you anyway, so I don’t really see much of a difference between that seat staying empty and having a friend sit there without ordering anything.

But regardless of whether we agree with a rule or not, I think it’s important to respect the policies of the places we visit.

There are three basic ways the pickup process usually works in cafés.

The first is getting a small buzzer that lets you know when your order is ready. This is probably the easiest option for foreigners who don’t speak Korean, since you can simply wait for it to go off and then head to the counter with the buzzer in hand.

The second way is an order number combined with some kind of digital screen. Once your order is ready, your number will appear on the screen. This is also pretty easy, as long as you’ve picked a seat where you can actually see it.

The third way is probably the most difficult for foreigners who don’t speak Korean. You get an order number, and once your order is ready, someone behind the counter calls out either the number or the name of the drink. And they’ll probably do so in Korean. I’ve met some great baristas, especially in smaller cafés, who notice when a foreigner orders and then call out the order in English or even bring it to the table. But you should not expect that to happen.

This is where it really helps to pick a seat where you can see the pickup counter. If you think your order is ready and nobody else picks it up after a few seconds, just walk over and show your receipt. They’ll let you know whether it’s yours.

Once you’re done and ready to leave, you should clean up after yourself. Most cafés have dedicated return areas for trays, cups, and trash.

In bigger franchise cafés, you’ll often find small return stations where you’re also expected to sort your trash. Most of it is usually pretty obvious, but if you’re unsure, either ask or simply leave the item on your tray. That way, an employee can sort it properly later instead of having to dig through the wrong trash bin. Especially if you’re a foreigner and an employee is nearby, they might even offer to help because they assume you may not be familiar with the sorting system.

Smaller cafés are often a bit simpler. Many of them just have a return counter where you can hand over your tray and let the staff take care of the rest.

Leaving your cups and trash on the table gives a pretty bad impression. It’s quite rare, and because of that, people tend to notice it immediately. I’ve seen it happen twice, and both times the Korean friends I was with noticed and commented on it. So, just be a good customer and clean up your table before you leave.