A cafe has drawn attention by officially listing a "restroom pass" as a menu item.
On the 12th, a post titled "A new cafe menu that is said to be trending these days" spread across major online communities and social media (SNS), prompting heated debate.
A photo attached to the post shows a kiosk (self-ordering machine) screen at a store with male and female restroom pictograms and the phrase "Restroom use only without ordering (one person, one time)." The price is 2,000 won. With tensions rising between owners and customers over people using only the restroom without ordering drinks at cafes, the move appears to offer a service that avoids face-to-face confrontation.
Reactions from online users were largely positive. They said, "This is needed because there are many 'freeloaders' who use only the restroom without ordering drinks," "It's better than having to force an order when you urgently need the restroom," and "If the facilities are clean and stocked with soap and toilet paper, it should be fine in urgent cases."
Many said they understood the owner's position in particular. One user said, "A cafe restroom is not public facilities but clearly private property. How many people must have tried to use it for free for a menu item like this to appear," expressing sympathy for the owner's difficulties.
Some viewed the "2,000 won fee" as expensive. They reacted, "A 2,000 won fee is expensive. Maybe 1,000 would be okay," "I was shocked by pay restrooms when traveling abroad—are we becoming similar," and "I'm afraid more and more cafes will make you pay to use the restroom."
In fact, disputes over restroom use have escalated to police intervention in the past. Last year at a large franchise cafe, police were called after an argument broke out between a man who used the restroom without ordering and the owner who tried to stop it. The man claimed the owner blocked the exit and coercively demanded an order, while the owner countered that it was a legitimate notice, citing stress from rude behavior by unauthorized users.