At three in the afternoon, a hungry international student went to a neighborhood restaurant. The lights were on, but the door said "Break time 15:00~17:00." There are no customers, so why won't they let anyone in? ## Two People, the Same Time At that moment, Minsu, an office worker, simply walked past the same restaurant. He'd had lunch at twelve, and he thought it was only natural for a restaurant to close at this hour. The foreign student stood in front of the door for a long time. "Why would a shop that's in business be closed?" And he said. Neither of them did anything wrong. What they each knew was simply different. ## What Is Going On Inside the Door? At lunchtime, customers all come in at once. After that, the kitchen prepares for the dinner service. They slice meat, boil broth, and wash vegetables. Many Korean restaurants also make their own side dishes, so there's even more to prepare. If customers keep coming, there's no time to do this work. It's also the time when the owner and staff eat and rest. Small shops have few workers, so it's hard for them to work all day without a break. ## Try this when you're at the door Break times differ from shop to shop. Many places don't have one at all. If you open a restaurant's info in a map app, it often shows the business hours and break times, so check before you go. Be sure to read the notice at the door too. When you're in a hurry, a snack bar or convenience store that stays open without a break can help. Hours can change, so go by the shop's own notice.