A Place for those Who Love Ramen and Dislike People

Despite the fact that 50.9% of all Americans are introverted, being an extrovert is seen as superior. However it seems that more recently, the silent majority is getting more of the spotlight.

On October 19, 2016, A Japanese ramen chain, Ichiran, opened its first Western hemisphere location in New York. This ramen place is special because it’s introvert-friendly: it’s possible to dine there without ever having to talk to another person. Called “low-interaction dining,” you seat yourself with an electronic seating chart and fill out your order on a paper menu. Normal interactions with waiters are mediated through signaling buttons, and their faces are obscured by a curtain so you never have to look at or talk to them. Your seat also has walls to the sides like the dividers put up for test-taking in schools so you don’t have to risk awkward eye contact with other patrons. It’s an antisocial person’s paradise.

Many introverts struggle in everyday life with seemingly simple things, like ordering from a restaurant, that their extroverted counterparts handle with ease. However, the world is becoming more aware, and consequently more accommodating, of different personality types. This restaurant is a perfect example. In addition, many graduate schools have also begun educating their students on MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) personalities, going so far as to make every student take the personality test on their first day of school. Hopefully, these changes and more awareness will make the world a more comfortable and welcoming place for people who don’t like talking to other people.

Citations:

http://www.metro.us/new-york/new-bushwick-restaurant-serves-ramen-for-introverts/zsJpjq---cuJRfGCea6UBI/ (Article title was adapted from the first sentence of this article.)

http://qz.com/823754/ichiran-ramen-meditation/

http://ny.eater.com/2016/10/19/13330962/ichiran-nyc-opens-wait

http://www.positivelymary.com/Free-Stuff/TrueColors-Introvert-Extrovert.htm