The buffet cut costs by buying more expensive sausages

A regular asked why the spicy pork had disappeared. The owner’s answer was brutally practical.

Source & context
Ruliweb community postView original post ↗
● Anyone gets itFoodDaily lifeHow much Korea-context this story assumes. English translations and context by Klore.
Community postEnglish translation
Anonymous

A Korean buffet I visit sometimes started serving cocktail sausages instead of spicy pork. I asked the owner about it when things were quiet.가끔 가는 한식부페집. 어느날부터 제육 대신 비엔나 소세지를 내놓더라. 한가할 때 주인에게 물어봤다.

“Have you replaced the spicy pork with sausages for good?”제육볶음 대신 소세지로 완전히 바꾼건가

“Yes. We had to cut costs.”그렇다. 비용절감 해야해서 어쩔 수 없었다.

“Aren’t sausages more expensive than pork?”돼지고기보다 소세지가 더 비싸지 않나.

“Per unit, yes. But lots of people don’t like the sausages...”단가만 보면 그렇다. 근데 소세지는 싫어하는 사람이 많아서

Ruliweb community postView original ↗
Community postEnglish translation
Anonymous

“Far fewer people eat them than the pork. So overall, it saves money.”제육보다 먹는 사람이 훨씬 적다. 그래서 전체적으로 비용 절감이 된다.

Ohhh. Learned something new. Might come in handy somewhere one day.오호라. 또 하나 배웠다. 나중에 어딘가 쓸모가 있을 거 같다.

Ruliweb community postView original ↗
💡 The buffet math
Buying something cheaper per portion is only one way to spend less. The owner’s other option: serve something customers take fewer portions of.Klore note

What Koreans said

8 top comments on the original thread, translated
  1. 124 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Fewer people eating it means fewer customers.

    먹는 사람이 적다는 건 손님이 적어진다는 뜻입니다

  2. 79 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    You won't know until you see the sales figures, but it's a big gamble.

    매출은 까봐야 아는거긴한데 큰 모험이군

  3. 60 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    No spicy pork is already a problem. If customer numbers stay steady, they'll eat as much sausage as pork, and costs will only rise.

    제육 없는거부터 문제고 손님 수가 유지되면 제육 먹던만큼 소세지 먹을거라 돈만 더 나가는 엔딩일거고

Read all 8 translated repliesShow fewer replies
  1. 45 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Did he think those customers would keep coming if so many dislike it? Is he an idiot?

    싫어하는 사람이 많으면 그 손님들이 계속 가게에 올 거라고 생각한걸까? 바본가?

  2. 42 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    I don't go if there's no spicy pork.

    제육없으면 안가는데

  3. 34 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Without spicy pork, about half the male customers will probably go elsewhere.

    제육안나오면 남성고객층 반쯤은 넘어갈듯

  4. 7 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    If there's nothing to replace the spicy pork, it's a total gamble.

    제육을 대체할게 없다면 완전 도박인데

  5. 6 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Depends on the area. Near my office, few places serve pork daily. Menus rotate; they're not full of cheap stuff, so it seems fine.

    지역이나 상황마다 다른게 나 일하는 회사 근처엔 제육 고정인 집 별로 없음. 요일마다 메뉴 알아서 바꿔나옴 글타고 머 싸구려로 도배한 것도 아니니 그냥저냥 같음

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