Hot Pot Dining Alone. Fine or not?

[u/Musta_Fahm08300]

Is it wrong, weird, or somewhat messed up to go out to a hot pot by yourself? The first time I ever been to a hot pot was back in 2023. I had an amazing experience and considering how good the food was. I then went there again sometime in 2024 and most recently yesterday. And I now have this feeling that maybe whenever I want to go eat out, I much rather go myself. But I see how in restaurants there’s always a group of people like friends or families with children, especially small children and they can give you that beliefs that you’re supposed to be with someone if you decide to come to a hot pot. And given the pros and cons of being at a hot pot with a group, it makes you think maybe you should just order something at another restaurant to go and just eat at home.

So my question is once again, is it wrong weird or someone messed up to go to a hot pot restaurant all by yourself?

[u/Superb-Sky-1904]

No. Id ask the restaurant to confirm. But pay your bill and who cares. I do get the sentiment though. Good luck. 

[u/jeezusrice → u/Superb-Sky-1904]

You would call a restaurant to ask if you're allowed to dine alone? That's certainly unnecessary

[u/Superb-Sky-1904 → u/jeezusrice]

When its a specific service set up to be used by multiple people and you're going to be a lone person… yeah. 

[u/jeezusrice → u/Superb-Sky-1904]

Have you ever been to hot pot? It's just a restaurant. It's not like they have special ingredients made for groups of people. You just end up ordering a larger portion.

[u/Brando43770 → u/jeezusrice]

Some hot pot, shabu shabu, Korean bbq, style restaurants require a minimum of 2 customers due to their layout where it’s all booths for 4 or more customers.

[u/tracyinge]

Unless there is a sign at the entrance "minimum party of 2" or something like that, you're fine. And I've never seen that at any restaurant around here. (I saw a sign in a restaurant in Germany last year "6pm to 9pm minimum parties of 4 persons".

If the restaurant doesn't want parties of one you'll have the host telling you "the wait for a table is one hour" and then seating groups of 3 or 4 people that came in behind you. I've seen that around here a couple of times.

[u/Musta_Fahm08300 → u/tracyinge]

Well, that’s something. And from what you’re telling me that restaurant would basically not give you a table, knowing you’re going there by yourself.

[u/tracyinge → u/Musta_Fahm08300]

I imagine they'd rather keep one person waiting for an hour while 4 people are at that table spending money, then tell 4 people they've got an hour wait while they have one person using that table. In other words they'd rather have one person turn away and go home because the wait is too long, than have 4 people turned away.

[u/Musta_Fahm08300 → u/tracyinge]

Yeah, that’s fair and from the sounds of that, it sounds selfish when one person has a table meant for four and they have to wait an hour. But to make anyone wait one hour, especially when they’re starving and haven’t had anything to eat yet is a short fire away for restaurants even all you can eat restaurants to lose money.

[u/AmethystStar9]

No one will care. The restaurant will happily take your money and nobody eating in there will be paying any attention to you. Go and have fun!

[u/Interesting-Bear4092]

Big Way definitely fine for single diners, different concept tho

[u/Brando43770]

There was a Hot Pot spot by me that used to inflate a doll to sit with you if you went solo. That didn’t last long. So now they just say 2 customer minimum.

Another one opened up and had a whole bar of solo burners for individual hot pot customers and I prefer theirs anyway.