An LA Korean restaurant is facing severe backlash after allegedly threatening customers with a blacklist for questioning a mandatory 18% group service charge. The controversy erupted after a group of six patrons split into two tables of three to avoid long wait times at Jinkook, located in the Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, according to local reports on November 2.
The incident occurred on Halloween evening. Because seating the entire group together would have required a lengthy wait, the customers agreed to be seated at two separate tables. However, friction arose when the bill arrived. Although the two tables were served by different staff members and received separate checks, the restaurant applied an 18% mandatory group gratuity to both receipts.
The customers argued that they had dined at independent tables and questioned why a group tip was necessary. While a staff member eventually removed the mandatory tip from the bills, the customer claimed they were warned that they would be permanently barred from returning. According to the patrons, the employee stated that they would be added to the restaurant’s blacklist and barred from future visits.
The incident gained widespread attention after a user claiming to be part of the party shared the experience on Reddit. The user expressed confusion over why a group fee was forcefully applied to completely separated tables, noting that under such logic, customers might be expected to pay group tips simply for running into acquaintances at a restaurant. The post quickly drew thousands of reactions and comments, with many netizens condemning the restaurant’s policy and perceived heavy-handedness.
