A ​​cafe for introverts in China

Solo dining cafes and restaurants are gaining popularity in China. Patrons sit in individual booths, order food via tablets, and have their dishes delivered on a conveyor belt.

Solo dining restaurants originally originated in Japan, but have recently gained popularity in China. Enormous queues form at these establishments: in Beijing, up to 1,500 reservations were made per day, while in Shanghai, hundreds of people waited for a new location to open, some for up to 14 hours. Spots in the queue are even being resold.

The format is designed for privacy: patrons sit in individual booths with partitions or curtains, order food via tablets, and have their dishes delivered on a conveyor belt. This allows for minimal contact with other people.

These places are especially popular with introverts: many appreciate the opportunity to dine quietly without socializing or prying eyes. On social media, users even share their "best spots"—those offering maximum privacy. This is happening against the backdrop of the general development of the “single-person economy” in China: restaurants, stores, and brands are increasingly creating products and formats “for one.”