Ashley

Ashley is a South Korean restaurant chain owned by the E-Land group. The brand is primarily associated with buffet dining, especially beef and steak, and has operated through a portfolio of formats rather than a single standardized restaurant concept. Its outlets have included general buffet concepts such as Ashley W, Ashley Queens and Ashley Delivery, alongside more specialized formats including 83 Grill by Ashley. The chain's offer and pricing have varied by restaurant type, location and service period. Lunch and dinner, as well as weekday and weekend visits, could carry different prices and provide different menu selections. Ashley W and related formats were positioned as accessible buffet restaurants, while Ashley Queens was introduced as a more premium concept. At Ashley Queens, foods that had previously been restricted to weekend service at some Ashley W and W+ restaurants—including elaborate desserts, Chinese-style dishes, sushi, crepes and beef tartare—were made available as regular menu elements. The range and pricing nevertheless remained location-dependent until later renewals helped standardize the Queens concept in selected branches. Ashley Queens opened in Seoul's Apgujeong area in December 2014. The concept was presented as a higher-end alternative to the existing Ashley W+ format, with pricing comparable to other premium buffet restaurants. A renewed Ashley Queens location in Sinchon was used to establish a more consistent version of the concept, although some older or department-store locations continued to offer different pricing. The chain's store base expanded substantially during the 2010s; a contemporary reference reported more than 140 retail stores in South Korea in 2014. The brand also faced labor-related criticism. In December 2016, South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor reported that part-time employees at Ashley had not received regular wages and other expected payments, including non-duty, overtime and night-duty allowances. The disclosure generated extensive public criticism and boycotting. The episode became an important reputational issue for the chain because its operating model depended heavily on part-time and service labor. The COVID-19 pandemic altered Ashley's store network and service model. Ashley W, Ashley W+, Ashley Classic and several other sub-brands were reported to have closed during the pandemic. By December 2021, Ashley Queens and Queens Plus, which represented the majority of the remaining Ashley restaurant base, had begun contactless operating procedures. Diners were asked to clear their own dishes after eating, and some Queens Plus branches introduced serving robots to assist with collecting used dishes and reduce face-to-face contact between staff and customers. Ashley therefore represents a multi-format Korean buffet brand whose development has been shaped by premiumization, store-format experimentation, labor scrutiny and pandemic-related operational changes. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current store count, a precise founding year, current leadership, or a definitive corporate website URL.

Ashley is a restaurant chain in South Korea operated by E-Land. It developed as a portfolio of buffet and related restaurant formats, with the brand's identity centered on self-service dining and a wide selection of dishes. Beef and steak are among the concepts most closely associated with the chain. Rather than maintaining one uniform store model, Ashley used multiple sub-brands and service levels to reach different customer groups and locations. By 2014, reference material described the chain as having more than 140 stores in South Korea. Its formats included Ashley W and other general buffet concepts, as well as Ashley Delivery and specialized restaurants such as 83 Grill by Ashley. Prices and menus differed according to the format, branch, day of the week and meal period. This structure allowed the operator to offer lower-priced buffet visits alongside more elaborate experiences with broader menus. A major development was the launch of Ashley Queens in Apgujeong in December 2014. Queens was positioned above Ashley W+ and was described as comparable in price with other premium buffet restaurants. Its menu incorporated items that had previously been associated with weekend service at W and W+, including more elaborate desserts, Chinese-style dishes, sushi, crepes and beef tartare. A later renewed Queens location in Sinchon helped standardize the concept, although certain older and department-store branches continued to use different pricing arrangements. The chain encountered a significant labor controversy in December 2016. The Ministry of Employment and Labor reported that part-time employees had not been paid regular wages and several related allowances, including non-duty, overtime and night-duty allowances. The matter led to widespread criticism and boycotting. It is one of the most prominent publicly documented controversies connected with Ashley and illustrates the labor and compliance risks associated with a large, part-time-worker-intensive restaurant network. The COVID-19 pandemic caused further changes. Ashley W, Ashley W+, Ashley Classic and other formats were reported to have closed during the pandemic. The remaining business increasingly centered on Ashley Queens and Queens Plus. In December 2021, those formats introduced contactless procedures: customers were asked to clear their own dishes, and some Queens Plus branches deployed serving robots to help collect dishes and limit staff-customer contact. The available reference material does not provide a confirmed founding year, named founder, current executive roster, current headquarters address, current store count or verified official website URL. It also does not establish whether every historical sub-brand remains active. Ashley should therefore be understood as an E-Land restaurant brand with a documented Korean buffet history and a post-pandemic footprint that is not fully specified in the supplied sources.

• 2021

  Queens formats introduce contactless operations

  [1]Ashley (restaurant) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Ashley Queens and Queens Plus adopted customer dish-clearing procedures, with some branches using serving robots during the pandemic.

• 2020

  Leftover-food practices discussed publicly

  [1]Ashley (restaurant) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  A 2020 video by YouTuber Jin Yong-jin was reported to have confirmed Ashley's claim that leftover food was discarded at the end of the day.

• 2016

  Labor payment controversy becomes public

  [1]Ashley (restaurant) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The Ministry of Employment and Labor reported unpaid wages and allowances involving Ashley part-time workers, followed by criticism and boycotting.

• 2014

  Ashley reported to have more than 140 South Korean stores

  [1]Ashley (restaurant) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material described Ashley as operating more than 140 retail stores in South Korea, indicating a substantial national restaurant network during the 2010s.

• 2014

  Ashley Queens opens in Apgujeong

  [1]Ashley (restaurant) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Ashley introduced Queens as a higher-end buffet concept, adding a more premium tier above Ashley W+.

A Korean buffet restaurant portfolio spanning accessible family dining, premium buffet experiences and specialized foodservice formats, with a particular emphasis on beef, steak and broad self-service variety.

• Premium buffet restaurant · 2014

  Ashley Queens

  Ashley Queens is the brand's higher-end buffet format. It opened in Apgujeong in December 2014 and expanded the menu beyond the more accessible Ashley W family. Its offer included items such as elaborate desserts, Chinese-style dishes, sushi, crepes and beef tartare as regular menu components rather than only occasional weekend selections. Prices and exact menus varied by branch, although the renewed Sinchon format was used to make the concept more consistent.

• Premium buffet restaurant

  Ashley Queens Plus

  Queens Plus is a related premium Ashley format and, together with Ashley Queens, was described as making up most of the chain's restaurant base by December 2021. During the COVID-19 period, some Queens Plus branches used serving robots to help collect used dishes. The supplied reference does not specify the complete current menu, store count or status of every branch.

• General buffet restaurant

  Ashley W

  Ashley W was one of the chain's principal general buffet formats. It offered a broad self-service menu with pricing and selection differentiated by location and by lunch, dinner, weekday and weekend service. The format historically provided a more accessible alternative to Ashley Queens, but reference material reports that Ashley W locations closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• General buffet restaurant

  Ashley W+

  Ashley W+ was a related general buffet format positioned below or alongside the later Queens concept. Before Queens opened, some dishes later associated with Queens—including premium desserts, sushi, Chinese-style dishes, crepes and beef tartare—were available at W+ primarily during weekends. The format was reported to have closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Delivery restaurant format

  Ashley Delivery

  Ashley Delivery was a delivery-oriented sub-brand within the wider Ashley portfolio. The supplied reference identifies it as one of the chain's sub-brands but does not provide a detailed menu, launch date, delivery footprint or current operating status.

• Specialty restaurant

  83 Grill by Ashley

  83 Grill by Ashley was a more specialized restaurant format within the Ashley portfolio, distinct from the chain's general buffet concepts. The supplied reference does not specify its complete menu, location network, launch date or current status.

• 2016

  Part-time worker wage and allowance controversy

  In December 2016, South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor revealed that Ashley part-time workers had allegedly not received regular wages and expected payments including non-duty, overtime and night-duty allowances. The disclosure led to extensive public criticism and boycotting.

  Source

Read more

• 2021

  Adoption of contactless restaurant proceduresStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic increased the need to reduce physical contact between diners and restaurant employees.

  Action taken

  Ashley Queens and Queens Plus asked diners to clear their own dishes, while some Queens Plus locations introduced serving robots to assist with dish collection.

  Aftermath

  The measures enabled the remaining major Ashley formats to continue operating with a more contact-reduced service model. The long-term continuation of these procedures is not established by the supplied material.

  Source

• 2014

  Launch of Ashley QueensProduct launch

  Background

  Ashley sought to add a premium tier above the existing Ashley W+ buffet format.

  Action taken

  The company opened Ashley Queens in Apgujeong and offered a broader premium-style menu, including dishes previously more associated with weekend service.

  Aftermath

  A renewed Sinchon location helped standardize the Queens concept, although pricing and menus continued to differ at some older and department-store branches.

  Source

• 2021

  Ashley Queens and Queens Plus adopt contactless operating procedures[1]Ashley (restaurant) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  During the COVID-19 period, Ashley Queens and Queens Plus introduced contact-reduction measures. Diners were expected to clear their own dishes, while some Queens Plus restaurants used serving robots to assist with dish collection.

• Multiple Ashley formats close during the COVID-19 pandemic[1]Ashley (restaurant) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Ashley W, Ashley W+, Ashley Classic and several other sub-brands were reported to have closed during the pandemic, leaving Ashley Queens and Queens Plus as the majority of the remaining restaurant formats described in the reference material.

1. 1Ashley (restaurant) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org