Japan Food Service Journal articles from December 2001

Japan Food Service Journal archives from December 2001

Food Service Franchise Shop Numbers, Sales up in FY2000.
December 25, 2001... The Japan Franchise Association reports that the nation's 1048 franchise chains enjoyed overall sales growth of 3.3% to 17.76 trillion yen in FY2000, and the number of franchise stores grew by 3.2% to 201,499. The group concludes that...

McDonald's to Diversify Menus to Fit Local Markets.
December 25, 2001... McDonald's Japan has launched a "non-standardization" strategy that will let shops change their menu to fit the local market. As a first step, in central Tokyo, 121 shops will be designated as Mac Tokyo outlets and will add new salad, soup...

Global Dining Creating Japanese-Style Restaurant Chain.
December 25, 2001... Global Dining is building a Japanese-style restaurant chain based on its current shop Gonhachi. The large second shop in the chain has opened in Minato-ku, Tokyo and adds sushi to the first shop's soba buckwheat noodle-based menu. A...

Mycal Submits to Corporate Reorganization Law.
December 25, 2001... Mycal, the struggling supermarket chain, says that with group debts of 1.05 trillion yen as of late August, it is abandoning its efforts to reorganize independently and is submitting to the Corporate Reorganization Law. It predicts that its...

New Chain Emulates Famous Hong Kong Noodle and Porridge Restaurant.
December 25, 2001... Ringer Hut, a chain of shops specializing in Chinese-style hotchpotch, is opening a line of Chinese restaurants offering light meals based on pot sticker and noodles dishes and rice porridge. Known as Ikeki, the first such ship opened in...

Confectioner Sets up New Chain to Appeal to Youth.
December 25, 2001... Sakaeya, a Fukuoka confections retailer, is opening a new type of shop called Gurea to sell inexpensive Japanese and Western-style sweets. The flagship store opened recently in Fukuoka City, and Sakaeya has plans for 10 more depending on...

Akita Bakery Features Bread with Local Yeast.
December 25, 2001... A shop newly opened in Akita City features bread made with a yeast first discovered in the nearby Shirakami Mountains, an area considered a world treasure for its large natural beech forest. The shop, known as Sala Bread House Akita Honten,...

Shop Combines Burger Shop, Internet Cafe.
December 25, 2001... Large-scale franchisee Fujitaka has opened a Saitama Prefecture shop that is part Mos Burger restaurant and part Internet cafe. Seeking to appeal with the best of both services, the site holds the fast food shop on the first floor and the...

Restaurant Chain Announces Ambitious Growth Plan.
December 25, 2001... Tasco System, a Hokkaido-based operator of restaurants, has announced a plan to speed up the pace of opening new shops to 150 per year. Having just earned a listing on the JASDAQ exchange, the company is looking forward to developing...

Sweet Factory Seeks Expansion with Low-Cost Mobile Shops.
December 25, 2001... Sweet Factory Japan, subsidiary of UK-based Sweet Factory, is introducing movable shops on wheels in the capital region. The small operations, to be found in shopping malls and department stores, will vend candies and chocolates. Niigata...

Seven-Eleven Suspends Use of Preservatives in Take-out Foods.
December 25, 2001... Responding to the growing health-consciousness of the market, Seven-Eleven Japan says that many take-out foods sold at its 8800 stores nationwide will no longer contain preservatives. As of October 2, only preservative-free box lunches, rice...

Mad Cow Announcement Sinks Beef Company Stocks.
December 25, 2001... On September 10, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced that it had confirmed the first head of cattle in Japan suspected of carrying mad cow disease. The public aftershock of the announcement has impacted the stock...

Tokyo DisneySea a Marine Counterpart for Neighbor Disneyland.
December 25, 2001... Tokyo Disneyland has a new neighbor, Tokyo DisneySea, which opened for business in September. The new business required an investment of about 338 billion yen, including new lodging, but its arrival is expected to lift combined visits to...

Roasted Bean Imports up 56% in First Half.
December 25, 2001... Imports of roasted coffee beans in the first half of 2001 rose 56% over the previous year to reach 34,000 60g bags. A major factor in the rising volume was the growing demand by overseas-aligned coffee shop operators like Starbuck's Coffee...

Doutor Building Self-Service Tea Salons.
December 25, 2001... To help fend off increasing competition from foreign-aligned coffee shop operators, Doutor Coffee is putting energy into developing Salon de The Madeleine, a self-service shop focusing on black tea. Beginning as an experiment in Ginza,...

Vie de France Bakery Shops Evolving into Cafes.
December 25, 2001... Vie de France, a subsidiary of Yamazaki Baking, is hurrying to transform its shops from takeout retailers of fresh-baked bread to sit-down cafes with full drink menus. Between conversion of existing shops and the building of new shops, the...

Reins International Seeks Quick Growth.
December 25, 2001... Reins International has announced a new mid-range business plan under which it seeks to lift sales to 45 billion yen and current profit to 7.2 billion yen by the fiscal year ending in December 2004. It plans to reach those goals through a...

Japan Mad Cow Fears Weigh down McDonald's US Stock Price.
December 25, 2001... The price of McDonald's shares on the New York Stock Exchange declined by a wide 3.5% in one week in early September on fears that sales at McDonald's Japan would suffer in the wake of the discovery of mad cow disease in Japan. The Japanese...

Akita Business Seeks Franchisees in Tokyo.
December 25, 2001... Dream Link, based in Akita City, is recruiting franchisees for new shops in Tokyo, including the Hanheie chain. These restaurants will serve horumon-yaki, dishes made from beef or pork entrails and organs, and create an image of shops from...

Office Supplies Package Includes Paper, Coffee Beans.
December 25, 2001... Office Ring System, a Tokyo-based direct-order dealer of office supplies, has started a new service selling a month's supply of both A4-size copy paper and coffee beans as a set to corporate customers. The so-called A4 Cafe 12 package,...

Tully's Seeks Venture Link's Help to Expand Faster.
December 25, 2001... Tully's Coffee Japan has announced a partnership with Venture Link, a firm that offers franchise chain support. The latter company will recruit franchisees and site stores, thus helping Tully's to pick up the pace of store openings. The...

Skylark Gusto Lunch Specials at 1970 Prices.
December 25, 2001... Skylark says that each of its roughly 870 Gusto restaurants in Japan will lower prices on daily specials from 580 to 480 yen, matching prices that Skylark offered when it opened in 1970. Since the start of the year, the Skylark family of...

McDonald's Staff Being Trained in Sign Language.
December 25, 2001... McDonald's Japan says that staff members at each of its 3700 stores are learning to use sign language. All regular staff and some part-timers must take a course in sign language so customers with hearing disabilities will feel welcome. At...

Recipe Site Links to Food Purchasing System.
December 25, 2001... Osaka Gas recently announced that it is starting a new food delivery service using a PC and cell phone communication network. Subsidiary OG Capital operates an Internet recipe site (http://www.bob-an.com) that works in conjunction with the...

Union Foods Slashes Yakiniku Prices with New Chain.
December 25, 2001... Union Foods is creating a new yakiniku grilled meat chain, Totanya, that seeks to attract customers with low prices. Totanya will feature individual menu items for 330 yen, a sharp reduction from the typical 480 yen. The new chain is a...

Hotel Procurement System Takes Advantage of Internet.
December 25, 2001... NEC and Fujita Kanko have jointly created an Internet-based procurement system for hotels to purchase foods and consumable products. Fujita Kanko, a travel and hotel company, is using the system, which it says will reduce its purchasing costs...

New Mother Leaf Shop Goes without Dining Area.
December 25, 2001... MOS Food Services has opened Mother Leaf Sweets, a new variation of its Mother Leaf shops selling Sri Lankan tea leaves and cakes and sweets compatible with black tea. The new shop, located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, handles tarts and puddings made...

Some Haagen-Dazs Shops Evolving into Cafes.
December 25, 2001... Haagen-Dazs Japan, operator of 71 shops in Japan, is building up its outlet Haagen-Dazs Cafe. The first such shop opened last year when the company renovated an existing Haagen-Dazs store in Aoyama, Tokyo. The renovation boosted monthly...

Burger Chain Opens Diner.
December 25, 2001... Freshness Burger has opened a 1950s American-style restaurant known as One's Diner. The combination diner and cafe, located in Daikanyama, Tokyo, stays open until 5:00 AM. Its menu includes the Double Double Burger (hamburger and salad for...

Low-Priced Hamburger/Steak Shop Looks to Grow.
December 25, 2001... Sun Challenge seeks to expand its Grimm restaurants, which offer hamburger and steak selections at modest prices. The first shop opened last March in Ebisu, Tokyo. Seating 20, it has enjoyed monthly trade of 3.5 million yen. A second shop...

Autumn Curry Menu Uses Seasonal Ingredients.
December 25, 2001... Curry House CoCo Ichibanya is introducing new dishes to follow up on its summer hit, chilled curry (known as Bubu Curry). One offering limited to its autumn menu is Kuri to Kabocha no Curry (chestnut and pumpkin curry, 650 yen) which...

Budget Curry Dish on Hot Iron Plate.
December 25, 2001... Baltic System, operator of 45 shops in the Baltic Curry chain, has added a 370-yen curry menu selection served on a 25cm hot iron plate. The plate keeps the food warm down to the last bite. Known as Hono no Teppan Curry, the dish is made...

Noodle/Bar Concept Expands with Focus on White Udon Noodles.
December 25, 2001... Myu Planning and Operators, which plans and designs shops and runs the Den malt bar, has opened a new udon (white wheat) noodle izakaya-style bar in Omotesando, Tokyo. Known as Den no Shiori, it comes in response to a growing number of soba...

Wineglass Manufacturer Opens Tokyo Boutique.
December 25, 2001... Austrian wineglass maker Riedel has opened Riedel Wine Boutique in Aoyama, Tokyo to display its wineglasses, decanters, vases and other items. Additionally it offers the Standard Set Course, a wine-tasting set, for 3000 yen. That includes...

Shops Increase Veggie-Filled Selections.
December 25, 2001... Doutor Coffee, Domino's Pizza and Reins International are among a growing number of dining establishments featuring generous servings of vegetables in some selections. The new offerings appeal to young men and women. Pizza lovers can order...

New Box Lunches Noted for Creative Marketing, Low Prices.
December 25, 2001... Japan's supermarkets are trying out new ways to market traditional obento box lunches. Hiroshima's Fresta offers a buffet-style lunch, letting customers fill their containers with any of 20-30 items offered along with rice. Yamazawa, of...

Too-Small Meat and Fish Portions Draw Heavy Tariffs for Box Lunches.
December 25, 2001... Nippon Restaurant Enterprise says that human error at its US operations resulted in an extra tariff charge of about 3.7 million yen for bento box lunches the company imported last August. Japan's food importing laws charge different rates of...

Automatic Faucet That Saves Water.
December 25, 2001... Toto has offered Aqua-Auto, an automatic faucet that makes water foamy. Compared to common automatic faucets, the new one uses about 60% less water. By adding air bubbles to the water, it gives a flowing feel but saves water. Water comes...

Quiet Air Cleaner with High Power.
December 25, 2001... Daikin Industries has released Kaiketsu Hikari Kurieru, an air cleaner with high power and a quiet fan. The product takes in dirty air from the sides and the bottom, then releases clean air from the top of the body. With its high power, the...

Safe Movable Sign Holder.
December 25, 2001... Galax has offered Stingray Poster Rack, a movable sign holder. The product has been designed to improve safety by using less metal and forming round corners. There are two sizes of sign surface: A1 and B1. There is also a lighting type that...

Letters and Drawings Shine on New Electric Signboard.
December 25, 2001... Too Marker Products has released Keiko Light-up Panel (fluorescent lighting panel), an electric signboard that makes letters and drawings created with special markers become illuminated. To use this panel, one writes or draws freely with the...

Scatter-Free Fish Scale Remover.
December 25, 2001... Te-AC has launched Tobichirimasen, a fish scale remover. This product removes and stores scales inside so the scales do not scatter on the counter. To use this product, the customer rubs it on the fish from tail to head. It works gently...

Easy to Use Smoker Oven.
December 25, 2001... Tenzen International has released the easy to use Mirella smoker oven. To use, one sets smoke chips and then the item to be smoked in the oven. It does not take a long time and does not require much labor. The product has four sizes and...

All-around Seasoning for Korean Cuisine.
December 25, 2001... Otafuku Sauce has launched Gyomuyo Kankoku Zanmai Series, Korean seasoning for industrial use. There are four kinds of seasoning bottles: Yakunen Kochujan (yakunen, which consists of garlic, hot pepper, ginger and ground sesame, is added...

Oil and Fat for Uniform Taste of Ramen Noodle Soup.
December 25, 2001... Ribbon Foods has released Tonkoku and Chiko, oil and fat for Chinese cuisine and ramen noodles. The product stabilizes the taste of the soup and helps chain restaurants to have uniform soup taste. Tonkoku is for tonkotsu (pork bone)...

Natural Sea Salt for Business Use.
December 25, 2001... Uminosei has released Gyomuyo Uminosei Arashio, Sarashio and Yakishio. The product is natural sea salt from Izu Oshima island that contains balanced minerals. Arashio is natural sea salt rich in bittern. It helps to extract sweetness and...

Natural Sea Salt from Seawater around Ishigakijima.
December 25, 2001... Ishigaki no Shio has launched White Mars Ishigaki, Ishigaki no Shio, natural sea salt from Ishigakijima Island in Okinawa. The product is made from nutritious unpolluted seawater with a unique low-temperature drying method to retain...

Sunflower Seed Cooking Oil.
December 25, 2001... Lead has released Shokuyo Himawariyu, sunflower seed cooking oil. This product is from Vicentin, an Argentinean cooking oil maker. The sunflower seeds used for this oil have not been genetically modified and this oil has no additives such as...

New Zealand Avocado Oil.
December 25, 2001... L.T. F. has released New Zealand Avocado Oil Extra Virgin Cold Press. The product uses only New Zealand avocado and extracted oil by creating a vacuum in low temperature. It has a high degree of purity and it brings out the natural taste of...

Special Spirits for Removing Astringency of Persimmons.
December 25, 2001... Takara Shuzo has launched Shibunuki Shokunin, spirits to remove the astringency of persimmons quickly. To remove astringency, one applies the product on the calyx of a persimmon or sprays it on all over without peeling and seals the fruit in...

Cooking Sake with Mirin Flavor.
December 25, 2001... Supakku has released Satsuma Ryorishu Kuroki cooking alcohol. The product does not use any additives and is produced with a method to make it keep for a long time without heating. It has not only alcohol but also rich flavor so it gives a...

Spirits with Black Malted Rice.
December 25, 2001... Zuisen has launched Usaki spirits. The product uses pure black malted rice that is delicate and hard to handle so it is mellow and smooth but sweet. The product is good for various eating and drinking places such as Okinawa cuisine...

Chinese Pride Sake Real Shokoshu.
December 25, 2001... Suntory has released Shokoshu Kaikeizan Hanahori, a new spirits product from a major Chinese beverage producer. That company has received the gold prize at the Monde Selection world alcohol beverage contest. The product uses special water...

Medicinal Herb Cocktail for Drinking Places.
December 25, 2001... Medicinal herb cocktails have been added to the menu at bars and cabarets in the Yanagase section of Gifu City (the area is known for a Japanese popular song, Yanagase Blues). Gifu Kanko Shako Jigyo Kyokai, an association that includes bars...

Matatabi Bento to Promote Minamihida Tourism.
December 25, 2001... Minamihida Kenkoryori Kaihatsu Kento Kai ("Minamihida Healthy Dishes Development Study Group") of Gifu Prefecture and the Minamihida area of Gifu Prefecture have developed Minamihida Matatabi Bento (Minamihida silvervine boxed lunch). The...

Quick-Serve Pasta Maintains Quality Despite Freezing.
December 25, 2001... Prott & Cruz has opened Pasteria S'Peaks, a pasta shop with exceptionally quick service. The flagship shop, which opened in September in Roppongi, Tokyo, boils pasta in a mere eight seconds and gets it to the customer's table in 90 seconds....

Controlled Cooking System Assures Excellent Results.
December 25, 2001... Osaka-based Food Bank says that by next spring it will be helping 20 companies implement the Shin Chori System to let even novice cooks deliver exceptional results every time. Sales during that period are forecast at 200 million yen. The...