From three staff to two: now we can run the restaurant with fewer people! Unexpected benefits have also boosted customer satisfaction (Okonomiyaki Buchi Ebisu Main Branch)

--- To begin with, please tell us about Okonomiyaki Buchi.
Since opening in 2009, we’ve been serving okonomiyaki and teppanyaki to our customers.
It’s a small restaurant with just 20 seats, but that makes it easier to create a sense of togetherness with our guests and gives the place a very homey atmosphere.
In November 2021, we opened a new restaurant, “Okonomiyaki Nikutama Kamata Main Store.”

— So, had you originally planned to start an okonomiyaki restaurant?
I’ve had an independent streak since I was young.
I did work part-time at an izakaya when I was a student, but after that I bounced around for a while, doing jobs like carpentry and sales.

I’m originally from Hiroshima, and back when I was in sales and traveling all over the country for business, people would often say to me, “When you think of Hiroshima, it’s got to be okonomiyaki, right?” Out of all the different kinds of work I’ve done, I enjoyed the food and beverage industry the most, so I decided to open an okonomiyaki restaurant in Tokyo.

— I see, so that’s how it was! Originally, Okonomiyaki Buchi was using a different ordering system, right?
That’s right.
We used a similar ordering system before, but the cost burden was quite heavy.

So when we were about to open a new store, we started talking about “let’s review the system we’re using now.” While we were looking for a system that offered only the essential functions and was reasonably priced, we came across Respo Self-Order.

––– Could you tell us the deciding factor in switching to “Respo Self-Order”?
The biggest reason was cost performance.
It has all the functions that are truly necessary for our restaurant, and on top of that it only costs 5,000 yen a month, which is very reasonable. I thought, “This is perfect!” and immediately called Hello Inc.

--- Could you tell me the original reason you decided to automate ordering?
Because I felt that if we didn’t clearly distinguish between “what people (staff) should do” and “what can be automated,” we would end up causing stress for our customers.

When I was watching the overall activity in the store through the cameras, I realized that “the flow of people during ordering is inefficient.” Customers have to call a staff member every time they want to order, and staff have to come out from the kitchen each time.

On top of that, from the customer’s point of view, having to think “I have to call them again” just builds up stress. And stressed customers will gradually drift away. To grow as a business, we decided it was essential to reduce unnecessary inefficiencies as much as possible.

--- Have you successfully reduced costs by introducing Respo Self-Order?
Yes, we’ve successfully reduced labor costs.
Ideally, for a small shop like ours, having three staff members would make things easier, but that also increases labor costs. That said, operating with just two people is really tough.

Since we were able to reduce the workload involved in handling orders, the two of us can now run the shop steadily.

— At Okonomiyaki Buchi, most of the seating is at the counter, right? I was a bit worried that might mean a lot of customers would want to order directly.
That’s actually not the case!
You know how, even when the staff are standing right in front of you, you still feel a bit self‑conscious when you order?

Customers who want to order directly will say so themselves, and customers who don’t want to feel any pressure use Respo Self-Order. It’s great because it lets us meet a wide range of customer needs.

--- I'm glad to hear that! By the way, were there any other benefits?
Being able to put photos on the menu.
At first we didn’t include any photos, but customers often asked, “What is this menu item?” It seems that when it’s all text, a lot of people find it stressful.

Just by having photos on the menu, customers can get a concrete image like, “Oh, that looks delicious!”, so their reactions are very positive. When I see how happy the customers are, I feel that adding photos has really been a plus. It was an unexpected benefit.

--- After introducing Respo Self-Order, what kind of feedback have you received from customers?
Many people say, “I really appreciate being able to place orders at my own pace.”

Another thing people are happy about is the feature that lets you pay right there on the spot.
You know how paying the bill always takes a bit of effort? Being able to do it with a single click while you’re still sitting at your table is really nice.
We’ve even had situations where a man and a woman came in together, and the man had already settled the bill in advance so he could smoothly say, “I’ve already taken care of it,” which made for a very classy moment.

— How was the speed of implementation?
It was really fast.
In fact, because of the impact of COVID, we actually asked them to push back the originally planned implementation date. They were very flexible and adjusted to our situation.

---Did it spread smoothly on-site?
Yes, it caught on smoothly.
In our case, we had already been using a different ordering system, so the staff quickly got the hang of it.

RespoUsing the self-order system isn’t difficult, so I don’t think even shops introducing an ordering system for the first time need to worry!

--- Lastly, could you tell us about your future outlook for Okonomiyaki Buchi?
At Buchi, we are working to enhance the value of “peace of mind” regarding the ingredients we serve.
We are especially focused on using domestically produced ingredients.
These days, low-priced imported ingredients are becoming more common. But from the customer’s perspective, I believe they can only truly feel at ease with their meal once they know “where the ingredients come from” and “who produces them.”

In that sense as well, I think it’s better to reduce the hassle of ordering as much as possible and increase the amount of natural, genuine conversation we have with our customers.
We want to place importance on conveying things that only people can communicate—like the deliciousness of the ingredients and the appeal of the producers.

--- That’s a wonderful initiative. You recently opened a new store; do you also have plans to expand further?
Yes, I’d like to keep expanding our shops in the future.
Eventually, we want to serve products we’ve produced ourselves in our own stores.
We’d like to build a farm and make our shops the main outlet for what we grow. That way, we can share the appeal and value of the ingredients in our own words.

Let’s leave unnecessary inefficiencies to machines and focus on what only humans can do. That way, we can get closer to our goals.

Thank you very much as well!

Address: 2F, New Life Ebisu, 1-7-8 Ebisu Minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone number: 03-3760-0555
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/agyQ5A4QrJHG6U4mpz1F