Methods for Selling Sake in Restaurants “American Patrons are Eager to Try Sake”

Patrons who come to Japanese restaurants in America visit expecting to experience a cuisine and drinks that they cannot ordinarily in typical American restaurants and from supermarkets. (Naturally, if the cuisine is too exotic or the service is not up to par there will be problems) but as may be expected, no matter what country is involved, people have images of the culture (preconceptions?) that they harbor, and patrons may come with unanticipated desires along those lines. However, even if those images are false ones (Japanese still wear kimono every day; topknots are still being worn), they will come to the restaurant with something close to those expectations.

Suppose that a Japanese goes to an Italian restaurant in Japan. What would be the expectations? Of course, the atmosphere should be reminiscent of Italy, the cuisine would be Italian, featuring such things as pasta and the drinks would not be sake or Japanese beer, but the anticipation would be for Italian wine and beer to be partaken of, would that not be true?

If one is troubled with the problem of stagnant sales currently at one’s restaurant, or else, if the house sake heated in flasks is the only kind on hand and one wonders what type of strategies may be devised, what would be the solution? If a short and simply explained flyer written in English were to be handed out, there would surely be a reaction.

Without having staff educated in sake or having a sake sommelier available, here are some suggestions regarding methods for selling more sake.

<Steps that Restaurants Can Take>

1 On the menu, besides the name and price of the sake, is the distinctive taste and the dishes it may be paired with (the selling point) Written?
Example)
XX Sake  Junmai Ginjo Nagano Prefecture
An exquisite offering from a brewery that boasts a history going back 300 years. With a fruity flavor and bouquet that is hardly reminiscent of sake, it has an acidity that gives balance to the richness of meat dishes and the like, bringing out the delicious taste. Recommended dishes are Duck with Miso Glaze, Codfish with Sake Lees $8.00/glass (4 oz.)  $32.00/bottle (720 ml.)
(For such details about sake, individual vendors may be consulted.)

2 Are samples available for serving in good portions for patrons so that they can see how they are? The essential thing is to make it easy for patrons to try them by selling by the glass in a reasonable price range, and that should be experimented with. When only bottles are for sale in the range of $50~$70 per bottle are available, there is little inclination to try a little to see how they are, so selling by the glass in the $5~$8 range or else offering a sake sample set is recommended.

3 Is the sake available in the restaurant placed where it can be seen and noticed (high visibility)? One strategy is to display empty bottles of sake in places where patrons may easily see them, and placards on tables announcing this month’s recommended sake that has just been shipped in may also be used as advertising.

4 Americans may not be too fixated on the price or the portions, but regardless, are there a variety of “Dishes Well-Matched with Sake” (appetizers) available in good price ranges and portions? That kind of thing should be tried.

<Steps that Servers Can Take>

1 The distinctive features (selling points) of the restaurant’s recommended sake and the names should be clearly understood. In particular, it is important for American servers who often find Japanese pronunciation difficult to practice the names.

2 Make suggestions confidently about trying on the spot what the reasons are for such things as the way the taste is explained and the dish pairings.
Also give some kind of other incentives to the servers.


For seminars on Japanese sake or shochu, contact Yuji Matsumoto at 310-936-4649 or ymatsumoto001@gmail.com.



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