"Self-ordering will become the mainstream in the coming era" — I'm also pleased with how quickly the features are being improved (Chiba Pork Improvement Committee, Hachinosuke Nitta)
In Otakanomori, Nagareyama City, Chiba Prefecture, there is a restaurant called “Chiba Pork Improvement Committee Shinden Hachinosuke” that serves delicious tonkatsu meant to be enjoyed with salt.
They use Chiba brand pork “Higashi no Takumi SPF & Imo-buta,” and their carefully crafted tonkatsu, made with a thoroughly refined cooking method, is extremely popular.
The owner, Mr. Aramaki, started using the Respo self-order system when the restaurant opened, and based on his experience working in the food and beverage industry, he feels that “self-order services will become the mainstream in the coming era.”
We asked him why he chose Respo Self-Order from among the many services available, how it has affected his restaurant operations, and what it’s actually like to use.
Creation date: 2023年10月29日
Update date: 2026年2月26日
Table of contents
Considering introducing it at suburban stores due to concerns about labor shortages
— What inspired you to start your own business?.
Our company, which is strongly committed to local production for local consumption, decided to open a restaurant serving dishes made with high-quality pork from Chiba Prefecture. When we were looking to open such a place, we happened to find the property where our current restaurant is located, and that connection led to our opening here.
— You started using Respo Self-Order from the moment you opened, but was there anything in particular that prompted you to consider it?
I was worried that we weren’t getting many job applications because our shop is located away from the city center. For that reason, I wanted to introduce a system that would help us run the store smoothly even with a small number of staff.
Among these, the self-ordering style, where customers can place orders on their own, felt like it would become the mainstream in the coming era, so we began considering its implementation.
— Was there a decisive factor in your decision to introduce Respo Self-Order?
Since we were opening a store in the suburbs and had no idea how many customers would come, Respo’s self-ordering system, which keeps initial costs down, matched our company’s needs.
Also, to reduce management effort and other hassles, we chose the Respo self-order system, which doesn’t require installing tablets at each table, lets customers easily place orders from their own smartphones, and is inexpensive.
—It’s been two years since the introduction; how have your customers been responding?
Our repeat customers have become quite accustomed to using it, and for first-time visitors we guide them by saying things like, “You can view the dishes with photos on the menu screen,” so my impression is that everyone is able to use it smoothly.
It’s easier to order when you can look at the pictures, isn’t it?
Yes, I think having photos as well as text makes it easier for customers to decide.
Since our restaurant serves tonkatsu made with two different kinds of pork, we first explain the types of meat to customers who are visiting for the first time. After that, they can choose while looking at the photos, which makes it clearer, more convenient, and very helpful.
— How has this affected your store operations?
On a normal day, our shop is run by three people—myself and two staff members—with eight table seats and four counter seats.
There are times when all the seats are taken, so I think that if we didn’t have Respo self-ordering and still had to go around taking orders ourselves, we wouldn’t have been able to keep up.
Regarding our refill service, we have created a “Refill (Free)” tab, which allows customers to choose the amount themselves. This helps reduce food waste and, in our view, enables smoother store operations.
— Are there times when customers have to wait to get into the store?
Yes. For customers waiting to be seated when we are fully booked, we ask them to choose their menu items while they are in line and take their order in advance. Then we assign a table number on their behalf and enter it into the system, which allows us to guide them smoothly to their seats once they come into the restaurant.
The speed at which they improve features while running alongside us is really reassuring.
— Please tell us what you feel has been good about introducing Respo Self-Order.
What makes me happiest is that as we actually run the store and share our observations and requests, they keep rapidly updating and improving the features.
Also, it’s convenient because we can try out various approaches as we operate it, and since our customers have gotten used to it as well, the idea of switching to another company has never even come up.
They’ve been working side by side with us on the ground to make things easier to use day by day, and it’s been very reassuring.
— Thank you so much for saying that!
Another appealing point is that you can customize it, such as adjusting the amount of rice from the menu or adding toppings.
I truly feel that this system offers many features that are easy to use for both the store side and customers, and that with a bit of ingenuity it can be made even more user-friendly in countless ways.
— How is the support system here?
Whenever there’s something I don’t understand, you kindly take the time to explain it in detail by email, and when I call because I’m stuck, you always help me, which has been a huge support.
Efficient store operations by separating human support and system-based support
—What kinds of stores do you think Respo would be useful for?
I’d especially recommend this for stores in places that are hard to reach from the city center, like in the suburbs, since it’s generally difficult for them to attract enough staff.
By making good use of Respo Self-Order to separate what staff handle from what the system handles, I believe we can achieve efficient store operations.
— Finally, could you tell us about your goals for the shop going forward?
We’re putting a lot of effort into local production for local consumption, so for example, we’d like to increase the number of outlets that use seafood from Chiba Prefecture. When we do that, we hope to make good use of Respo Self-Order to support our store expansion.
Store Information
Chiba Prefecture Pork Improvement Committee Nitta Hachinosuke
Address: 1640 Kinozaki, Noda City, Chiba Prefecture
Phone number: 04-7138-5448
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/RaXUcrPoREzUJyrH7GTp
Phone number: 04-7138-5448
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/RaXUcrPoREzUJyrH7GTp
