Introduction example: Store management now demands endurance in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. High expectations for a commission-free customer referral system with multilingual support (JOURNEY KITCHEN).

I want to connect the people and ingredients I encountered while traveling around Japan with my customers.

— Could you tell me about your shop?

This is our fourth year running the restaurant as a married couple. At lunchtime we serve dishes such as pasta and hamburg steak, and in the evening we offer à la carte items like assorted appetizers, pasta, meat dishes, and ajillo, as well as set course meals that include all-you-can-drink options.

Originally, as my husband built his career as a chef and pâtissier, he always had a dream of one day having his own shop. Fortunately, we were blessed with a good opportunity: someone approached him and asked if he would like to go independent and try running a shop of his own.

— Could you tell us the origin of the name “JOURNEY KITCHEN”?

Before opening this shop, the owner spent about six months traveling around Japan by bicycle. It was a journey to rediscover and make use of the excellence of Japanese, domestically produced ingredients that spread out beneath their feet, and to encounter local cuisines and food cultures from regions they had not yet known.

On their travels, they encountered an abundance of things: rich ingredients from all over Japan, the producers who grow them, local food cultures that make the most of each region’s climate, and even the unique atmosphere of each place. Because the restaurant was opened after those journeys, it was named “JOURNEY.” Even now, there are farmers they still work with thanks to connections made on the road. We welcome our guests with the hope that, by using as many delicious domestically produced ingredients and seasonings as possible, they can enjoy Italian cuisine that is both safe and reassuring.

In thinking about sustainable store operations after the COVID-19 pandemic, having no customer referral fees is hugely impactful.

— Please tell us about the background leading up to the introduction of the Respo reservation ledger.

We introduced the Respo reservation ledger in September 2023, and the impact of having no referral commission fees was indeed very significant. My spouse and I opened the restaurant in 2019. Soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we were forced to manage the business in circumstances we had never anticipated. At that time, everything was restricted—shortened business hours, limits on the number of customers, face-to-face contact, and more—so it was extremely difficult to have any clear outlook for the future.

—In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with so many restrictions in place, how did you attract customers?

RespoBefore we introduced the reservation ledger, we were registered on several restaurant search websites. Some customers got to know our restaurant by passing in front of it and then came in, but at that time we were still in the COVID-19 pandemic, and people were very cautious about dining out itself. Because of that, we were extremely grateful for customers who discovered us online, became interested, and chose to visit. The positive reviews from customers on those sites were also a great source of encouragement.

On the other hand, every time a reservation comes in through the site, a referral fee is charged. When we thought about whether we could keep that up in such a tough business environment, the reality was that, given our shop’s capacity, it would be extremely difficult.

Cost reductions have generated surplus funds that can be redirected to the cost price.

— With referral fees becoming free, what changes have there been in terms of costs?

Prices are rising for all kinds of things, starting with ingredients and consumables, but since there are no customer referral fees, we’re seeing positive effects such as being able to allocate that money to the cost of goods.

Also, although we haven’t implemented it at our restaurant yet, AutoReserve’s system for collecting cancellation fees is really good. For example, if a course reservation for 10 people is canceled on the day, or changed to 3 people, we have to make major adjustments to things like purchasing ingredients and prep work. A system that protects us financially like that is really appreciated.

— Have there been any other operational changes since introducing the Respo reservation ledger?

Customers who make a reservation before coming in account for about 40% of our total, and the number of phone and online reservations is roughly the same. When we take a reservation by phone, we manually enter it into the Respo reservation ledger. If we fill in the required fields, a manual reservation is created, but when customers book directly through AutoReserve, the store doesn’t need to enter their information, so there’s no risk of mistakes. Our shop is run by a team of seven, including the owner and part-time staff, and because online reservations are reflected in the system immediately, it’s extremely convenient that there’s almost no effort required for managing reservations.

With inbound tourism gradually recovering, there are high expectations for a multilingual reservation system to help attract customers.

--- How would you like to make use of the Respo reservation ledger going forward?

We’re still using another company’s reservation ledger app alongside it for now, but we’re in the process of switching over to the Respo reservation ledger, expecting that once all the information is centralized, the burden of customer management will be reduced even further.

Also, AutoReserve’s online booking supports multiple languages such as Chinese in addition to English, doesn’t it? It felt very next‑generation and completely new to me. Our current location doesn’t really attract foreign tourists, but I think a major advantage is that in the future we can look forward to gaining inbound customers.

— Could you tell us about your future goals or plans?

We’re now in our fourth year since opening, but soon after we started the business, the COVID pandemic hit, and for about half that time we haven’t really been able to operate properly. Now that COVID has finally begun to settle down, I’d like to make a fresh start and really liven up this place so it becomes popular.

In the future I do think about opening new locations, but first I want to make this place a shop that truly delights our customers, and if we can keep that going, I feel the next steps will naturally come into view.

Store Information

JOURNEY KITCHEN

Address: 2-52 Nakamozucho, Kita Ward, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture
Phone number: 072-275-5956
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/ME7G37vdueaEFEciJnEJ