A controversy has erupted in downtown Los Angeles after a Korean restaurant allegedly threatened customers with a LA Korean restaurant blacklist and future ban for protesting a mandatory tipping policy. The dispute arose when a group of six patrons sat at two separate tables of three, yet were subjected to an 18% mandatory gratuity typically reserved for large parties.
According to reports from the California Post, the incident occurred at ‘JinCook,’ a Korean restaurant located in LA’s Little Tokyo district, during Halloween night on October 31. Because waiting for a single large table would have taken too long, the group of six decided to split into two separate tables.
The conflict flared up during the payment process. The customers stated that different servers attended to the two tables and separate receipts were issued. Nevertheless, the restaurant treated them as a single group of six, adding an 18% mandatory tip to both bills.
When the customers protested, arguing they had dined independently at separate tables and should not have to pay a group tip, the employee ultimately removed the mandatory tip from the receipts. However, the customer side claimed they were warned that they would be barred from returning in the future.
The employee reportedly told them, ‘We will waive the tip this time, but you cannot enter from next time. I will put you on the blacklist.’ The incident gained widespread attention after a user identifying as a member of the party shared the story on the online community Reddit.
The Reddit user explained that they originally intended to leave a standard 15% to 18% tip once the receipt was corrected, but found it difficult to understand why a mandatory group tip was forcibly applied to two entirely separate tables. Thousands of comments and reactions poured in, with many netizens criticizing the restaurant’s response as excessive and unreasonable.
