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Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Japanese resto plans expansion
Several Japanese restaurants have sprouted like mushrooms in Metro Cebu but disappeared just as fast. Not Rai-Rai Ken Ramen House and Sushi Bar, which recently relocated to a roomier venue at the Ayala Food and Entertainment Center.
Benjamin Garcia, president and chief executive officer of Rai Rai Ken Foods Corp., said the company now has 30 outlets nationwide.
Aside from the Ayala Center Cebu outlet, Rai-Rai Ken has outlets at Robin-son’s Place, SM City Cebu, Banilad Town Square and Lapu-Lapu City.
Garcia said the company, which—which now includes Tokyo Joe, also serving Japanese food but with young people as target market—plans to expand in Dubai, United States and Singapore.
“But we will go only when we’re ready,” said Rai-Rai Ken franchise coordinator Jho Sayago in a press conference during the opening of the new Ayala Center Cebu outlet.
The group is eyeing to put up three more outlets within the country this year. But Company officials did not elaborate where these new outlets will be.
Sayago said the company has received several applications for franchise in various areas in the country, but it has put on hold the evaluation of the requests.
Commissary
“We’re controlling the number of franchise outlets for the meantime… while we organize and improve our commissary in Mactan (Lapu-Lapu City),” she said.
Garcia said Cebu is Rai-Rai Ken’s test market. “We decided that if we’re successful here, we’ll be successful anywhere,” he added.
But the company’s decision to reset its market sights may have also been a factor.
Garcia said its first restaurant in Cebu, at Rivergate Mall on Gen. Maxilom Ave., had performed well for two years or so but saw sales go down when the number of Japanese nationals in Cebu started to dwindle.
“So I decided to focus on Filipinos as target market. Good thing Japanese food is widely accepted among Filipinos na,” he said.
But he admitted that the price associated to Japanese cuisine is prohibitive to many Filipinos.
This is probably why several Japanese restaurants have closed because there are not enough Filipinos going there, he said.
To provide different price choices to customers, Garcia said the restaurant chain has come up with budget meals in the menu. (LAP)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 18, 2006 issue)
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