Netflix show sparks 303% bookings surge
Netflix’s 'Culinary Class Wars' is driving a 303% surge in bookings for food tourism across Asia, blending gourmet and street food and reshaping demand for experiential dining. Restaurants reported the spike to CNBC after the show’s release, signaling big upside for destination-focused culinary operations. ( )
CatchTable based its analysis on in‑app activity by comparing the five‑week period after Season 2’s premiere (Dec. 16, 2025–Jan. 13, 2026) with the five weeks before, tracking searches, reservations and waitlist actions on its platform. (cnbc.com) Search volume and reservation listings jumped for specific chef names highlighted on the show, with chefs such as Son Jong‑won and winner Napoli Matfia driving top search rankings on CatchTable after episodes aired. (en.sedaily.com) CatchTable’s executives reported that when the platform opened 150 special reservation slots tied to the series, roughly 450,000 people attempted to book — about 3,000 people chasing each available seat — illustrating the scale of demand. (compuserve.com) Season 2’s streaming performance also reinforced the publicity: the series debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non‑English TV) list in December and stayed on the chart for five consecutive weeks, and Netflix has already confirmed a third season. (nwasianweekly.com) Even high‑end Seoul restaurants reported fully booked calendars after their episodes aired, with some tasting‑menu prices cited around 370,000 won (about $270) and platforms briefly overwhelmed — CatchTable said the surge forced short outages and massive queueing on its app. (en.sedaily.com)
