Chipotle brings burritos to Korea, and a familiar American anxiety

SEATTLE — For 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.

“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.

Subway has long generated similar anxiety in Korea, spawning countless online tutorials explaining what to say, what to choose and in what order.

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.

The Korean reaction suggests that Chipotle may be introducing something besides burritos and bowls to its newest market: an ordering experience that some Americans have been trying to avoid themselves.