Jane Han is the North America editor for The Korea Times. Based in Seattle, she has covered business, culture and social issues across the United States for over 15 years. She previously worked at The Boston Globe.
Chipotle brings burritos to Korea, and a familiar American anxiety
Attendees place their orders during a preview event at Chipotle, the U.S. fast-casual restaurant chain's first Asia location near Gangnam Station in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
By Jane Han
SEATTLE — For many Americans, ordering at Chipotle is practically muscle memory — rice, beans, protein, salsa, toppings.
In Korea, some diners have a more immediate concern: How exactly are you supposed to order without holding up the line?
Chipotle opened its first restaurant in Asia near Seoul's Gangnam Station this week, largely transplanting the American experience, including its signature build-your-own ordering system.
Almost immediately, Korean social media filled with explainers on how to order, along with comparisons to Subway, another U.S. chain where customers move down the counter choosing ingredients as they go.
“More nerve-racking than Subway,” one blogger wrote.
Subway has long generated similar anxiety in Korea, spawning countless online tutorials explaining what to say, what to choose and in what order.
“As someone who was scared of Subway, this is giving me PTSD,” one commenter said. Another had a simpler request: “Please introduce kiosks.”
Part of the anxiety may come from having to make one choice after another while an employee waits for an answer and other customers stand in line behind.
That can be particularly uncomfortable in Korea, where ordering through self-service kiosks or touchscreens at the table has increasingly become the norm, letting customers make their choices without worrying about taking too long or keeping others waiting.
“For people who haven't been to Chipotle in the U.S., ordering looks pretty daunting,” one Instagram user wrote. “They should put up an ingredient guide so people can decide what they want while waiting in line.”
But Koreans aren't alone.
In the U.S., Chipotle's rapid-fire ordering process has also inspired years of online posts from customers describing anxiety about freezing up, slowing down the line or inconveniencing employees. Some say they rehearse their orders beforehand or turn to mobile ordering to avoid the interaction altogether.
Along with burritos and bowls, Chipotle is bringing Korea an ordering experience that has long made some Americans a little anxious too.