Dept. store restaurants become popular spots for after-work dinners

[Courtesy of Hyundai Department Store]

Department store restaurants are emerging as new spots for after-work gatherings amid a shift in corporate culture towards more simplified get-togethers.

According to Hyundai Department Store, the restaurant booking rates at their branches in office-centric districts such as Samseong-dong in southern Seoul and Pangyo in Gyeonggi Province were the highest at 7 p.m. between November 2023 and January 2024.

During the same period four years ago, however, the highest reservation rate was at noon at 72 percent while 7 p.m. lagged at 64 percent.

The evening slot surged to 93 percent recently, surpassing the lunchtime reservations at 74 percent.

The flourishing of department store restaurant business during evening hours is significantly influenced by the changing dynamics of corporate dinner culture.

Typically situated on higher floors, these dining tenants in department stores offer a combination of upscale cuisine, clean interiors, and often feature room-style seating, providing a conducive environment for quiet and convenient group dining experiences.

This transformation is attributed to a cultural shift where after-work gatherings, extending to second and third rounds, lose popularity, and a perception emerges that “company dinners are also a form of employee welfare.”

Department store restaurants usually close by 10 p.m., discouraging excessive drinking, which naturally fosters an environment conducive to wrapping up gatherings in one round.

Conveniently located in major office districts such as Gangnam, Yeouido, and Pangyo, department stores are also well-connected to subway stations, facilitating easy return to home.

Reflecting this trend, group reservations for six or more people at Hyundai Department Store’s branches in Samseong-dong and Pangyo increased by about 2.5 times compared to the period just before the pandemic.

Since the easing of restrictions to allow gatherings of up to six people in February 2022, group reservation numbers more than doubled within a year and increased by about 55 percent in the previous year.

Departure traffic at department store parking lots between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. surged by 87 percent over the past four years, despite regular store operations ending at 8 p.m.

This means many visitors choose to park their cars at the department store for their dinner gatherings.

This trend is even more pronounced when including The Hyundai Seoul, which opened its doors in February 2021 in Yeouido, a busy office district in Seoul.

The combined restaurant reservation count for the three Hyundai Department Store locations, including The Hyundai Seoul, increased by 121 percent from November last year to January this year compared to the previous year.

The 7 p.m. reservation rate reached 96 percent, indicating that nearly all restaurants were fully booked.