The Creator of the “Gyukaku” Hospitality

~More Beautiful and More Enjoyable, All for the Sake of Smiles on Customers’ Faces

In 1995, with the idea of “wanting to create a nice, comfortable atmosphere in which to enjoy cheap and delicious yakiniku broiled meat,” a small, 600 square foot yakiniku broiled meat restaurant opened in Tokyo and since then it has continued to work hard for the sake of “smiles on customers’ faces” using Gyukaku as the foundation. In Japan it now has 750 locations and in America it now has twelve restaurants.

Gyukaku seeks to consistently maintain price, taste, atmosphere and service. Within a fashionable atmosphere in which jazz music flows, it may be said to be a yakiniku broiled meat restaurant in which delicious yakiniku broiled meat is served cheaply, with polite and attentive service to win the satisfaction of customers so that it can truly gain the support of those customers. We spoke with President Toshi Hayakawa of Reins International California, Inc. headquartered in Torrance about the development of Gyukaku.

S&S: When did Gyukaku first come to America?
Hayakawa: The first Gyukaku restaurant opened in West Los Angeles in July of 2001. In May of 2007 the twelfth restaurant was established in Rancho Cucamonga.

S&S: At the present time, what are the varieties of items on the menu?
Hayakawa: There are 18 varieties of beef, chicken and pork and we also serve lamb.
In addition, there is not only meat, but also seven varieties of seafood, includingthings like lobster and shrimp and nine varieties of vegetables like zucchini togrill and we serve seven varieties of oil brushed vegetables like asparagus and mushrooms. Besides that, we serve rice and noodles and prepare seven varieties of desserts.

S&S: What percentage of increase have you had in sales?
Hayakawa: Since we first opened, sales have increased by 180% and every year we can boast of an increase of 100%.

S&S: What has been the reaction of your customers to your menu?
Hayakawa: 90% of our customers are Americans and we also have regular customers of Hollywood stars (celebrities) like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessica Alba and Cameron Diaz. For them, recently things like filet mignon and rib eye steak are popular as well as skirt steak seasoned with miso dressing. Besides that, something that up to now we haven’t had many orders for, Kobe beef which is tender and well marbled with fat has started getting popular. Due to this, we detect a change in American eating habits occurring.

S&S: Is there a difference between the yakiniku broiled meat that Japanese enjoy and the kind that Americans do?
Hayakawa: In contrast to the thinly sliced meat that Japanese enjoy, Americans like the steak that they are used to eating, with a thick cut. That’s the trend. In addition, they seem to prefer the sweet sauces, you know.

S&S: What special features of your company that are different from other companies?
Hayakawa: One big difference with our company is that the staff is 100% American.
Yakiniku broiled meat has never been a part of American food culture, so our American staff, which until recently had just come to know about yakiniku broiled meat, can explain it to the same kinds of Americans. We believe that this is a big part of the growth of our company. Probably, since they share the same culture with those people, they will find it easy to have them ask questions and find out just what the customers want.

S&S: What kind of awards have you received?
Hayakawa: From the National Restaurant News we received the “Hot Concept
Award” and from City Search, we received the “Best Group Dining” and “Best BBQ” Awards.

S&S: What are Gyukaku’s targets in the future?
Hayakawa: “Making yakiniku broiled meat a part of American food culture” is it.
With this as our mission, our target is to have 300 restaurants in the future. In the final analysis, we aim at the goal of “sushi, tempura and Gyukaku.”

S&S: What is your strategy for doing that concretely?
Hayakawa: First, our target is to open restaurants in shopping malls. People with a sharp fashion sense gather in shopping malls and also have their antenna out for food. In an automobile society like America, it is hard to bring in people to a restaurant that they don’t know themselves, so when they are walking around in malls, they will learn about Gyukaku and we think that they will see with their own eyes yakiniku broiled meat. In addition, in order to relieve the stress of those Americans who don’t know how to order from the menu, in our Topanga Canyon restaurant we have started offering a “high quality all you can eat” special. We will expand with these mall restaurants as the focus.

S&S: Finally, please offer us some PR for Gyukaku.
Hayakawa: Our motto is “creating an impression” as out management concept, with food, service and atmosphere aimed at impressing the customers five senses and having them savor the experience. This is different from the American food culture of eating only one variety of meat with a certain seasoning. Different categories of meat can be enjoyed with various seasonings, cooked on the spot so the meat can be enjoyed hot and what is more, one can fill one’s stomach to bursting. This is the real attraction of yakiniku broiled meat, isn’t it? Beyond that, there is the entertainment factor of cooking one’s food at one’s own individual table and that is a big part of the concept, one that is a new one for Americans. We are passing along a part of Japanese food culture and that is a big contribution, we believe.

S&S: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us. We wish you the greatest success in your expansion plans.
When the interview with President Hayakawa was over, we were impressed at how he was able to convey his enthusiasm and ideas for creating an impression among customers about Gyukaku.
“No matter how the atmosphere around ‘food’ changes, there will never be any change in the rich spirit that people receive from the highest form of human culture, that is to say, ‘food culture.’ Always striving to grasp the customer’s needs securely, a true impression and happiness can be offered through ‘food.’ We want to make people’s spirits richer. This is the source of Gyukaku’s spirit of challenge.” This concept is surely the motivating factor of Gyukaku for the past ten years. From here on as well, Gyukaku will undoubtedly strive to make every day a little more enjoyable and richer by means of “food.” Perhaps the reader would also like to experience that impression of Gyukaku.

Reins International California, Inc.
3914 Del Amo Blvd., Suite 903-4
Torrance, CA 90503
(310) 542-3200
www.gyu-kaku.com
500 employees (including part time help)

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