Waiting for a Table in Korea: What That Tablet Outside the Restaurant Is For

 

If you walk into a busy restaurant in Korea and see a touchscreen near the entrance, it may not be for ordering food.

Sometimes, it is the restaurant’s waitlist.

I used one recently when the restaurant was full. There were seven parties ahead of me, and I ended up waiting about 30 minutes.

The process was simple once I knew what the screen was asking for.

1. First, choose how many people are in your group

The tablet first asked how many adults and children were in my party.

This part was straightforward, and the screen also had an English language option.

So if you do not read Korean, look for the language buttons before going any further.

2. Then enter your phone number

The next screen asked for a phone number.

I entered my Korean mobile number, and a KakaoTalk message arrived almost immediately after I registered.

That message confirmed that I was on the waitlist.

One thing I would not assume, though, is that every system accepts overseas phone numbers. I only tested it with my Korean number.

3. You can see how many groups are ahead of you

When I registered, the screen showed that there were seven parties waiting ahead of me.

In my case, that turned into about a 30-minute wait.

Seven parties will not always mean a 30-minute wait. It depends on the restaurant, group sizes and how quickly tables become available.

4. The restaurant sends you a message when your turn gets close

I stayed in the waiting area in front of the restaurant, so I did not test how far away I could go.

But the useful part was the notification system.

When there was one party left before me, I received another KakaoTalk message telling me to wait in front of the restaurant.

So you do not have to keep staring at the tablet to see whether your number has changed.

5. What I would do if I saw this system again

Now that I’ve used it once, I’d know what to do next time.

I would switch the screen to English if needed, enter the group size, register my phone number and then check the message that arrives.

The one thing I’d still check as a visitor is the phone-number requirement.

The system I used worked immediately with my Korean number, but I did not test an overseas number.

If you do not have a Korean phone number, I’d check the screen or ask the staff before relying on this system.