Shorter serving times led to a pleasant surprise: higher spending per customer. It also gave the head chef enough leeway to personally serve guests. (Shunkashūtō Seasonal Cuisine Shikitei)
Shunka Shuto Kisetsu Ryori Shikitei, located in Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture, is a Japanese restaurant where you can enjoy the delicious flavors of each of the four seasons.
The owner personally bids at auctions in Kashima Port to carefully select and serve only the freshest ingredients, and also uses local Hitachi beef and fresh vegetables to offer heartfelt hospitality rooted in the spirit of Japanese cuisine.
It has been almost a year and a half since the owner, Mr. Komatsuzaki, introduced the Respo self-ordering system in June 2022 and began operating it.
We asked him about what prompted him to consider introducing Respo Self-Order, how it has affected store operations, and how customers have responded.
Creation date: 2023年11月27日
Update date: 2026年2月26日
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Introduced it because I was attracted by the future potential and customizability of self-ordering
— Could you tell me about your shop?
Our restaurant was founded in my father's generation, and it will soon be 32 years since we opened. I spent about ten years working in the kitchen alongside my father, who is a chef, and after he retired I took over. I now run the place as both owner and head chef.
There are 80 seats and 7 private rooms, with around 10 staff members working here.
— What prompted you to consider introducing Respo Self-Order?
At the time of introduction, we had sufficient staff, but as the declining birthrate and aging population advance, we were concerned that we might face a labor shortage in the future. So we began considering implementing a system that would support store operations, in order to be prepared for any future staff shortages.
— Was there a decisive factor in choosing to implement Respo Self-Order?
We considered about three companies including others, but we were drawn to Respo Self-Order’s future potential, its customizable convenience, and its low cost, and decided to implement it.
Respo Self-Order can be customized to make it easy to use on-site, for example by allowing customers to convey individual requests as handwritten notes when placing an order. We also found the company’s flexible attitude in accommodating detailed feature requests from the store side very appealing.
Smooth, prompt service with clear pricing—giving customers peace of mind.
— After actually introducing Respo Self-Order, what kind of impact has it had on your store operations?
Before we introduced the system, we wrote down orders on paper and entered each item manually at the register, which created a risk of calculation errors, and the receipts could only show the total amount.
After implementation, the order amounts are reflected automatically, so mistakes have been eliminated, and since all order details are printed out, the accounting has become much clearer.
--- That’s very reassuring for customers as well!
Yes. Customers can place orders by themselves, so we no longer need to teach staff how to take orders, which has been a great help.
Also, I had been wanting to raise staff wages for some time, and by introducing Respo Self-Order we were able to adjust the number of staff needed for operations, which allowed us to increase their hourly pay.
— I hear your establishment offers more than 100 kinds of alcoholic drinks. Is there anything in particular you’ve put thought or creativity into when it comes to that?
When an order is placed through Respo Self-Order and the ticket is sent to the kitchen, we’ve set it up so that the drink recipes are also printed on the back of the ticket.
For example, when an order for a highball comes in, we also make sure there’s a note that says something like, “one lemon wedge, half a push of whiskey, ice, and soda,” so that even if a new staff member forgets how to make it, they can still handle the order.
— So you’re customizing and making good use of Respo Self-Order!
In addition, we’ve added a button on the lunch menu screen labeled “Call button for already-ordered after-meal drink or dessert – 0 yen (tax included),” which we use as a signal to serve the drink or dessert after the meal.
Thanks to this, we don’t have to spend as much effort checking whether guests have finished their meals, and it’s become a lot easier.
I know lunchtime service is really busy, so it would be helpful if this could lighten the load even a little, right?
Yes. And by being able to check orders immediately, we’ve been able to serve food faster, which has increased the number of orders from customers and raised the average spend per customer.
Sales of drinks, which come in a particularly large variety, have increased, and this is a pleasant surprise we hadn’t initially expected.
Also, now that I have more time, I, as the head chef, have more opportunities to go out into the dining area. Guests seem to feel it’s something special when they can talk with the chef, and they’re very pleased.
The waiting time for ordering has become waiting time for serving, making it more comfortable for customers.
— How easy is Respo Self-Order to use?
It’s very easy to use and many people are using it, but because our customers tend to be older, some of them find it difficult to read the text on their smartphones.
そこでサポート担当の方に相談し、全てのテーブルに別途タブレット端末も設置して、スマホとタブレットどちらからでも注文できる仕組みにしました。
会計はスマホからしていただくため、メニュー画面に「お店のタブレットはお会計に使用しないで下さい」という注意書きも添えて、会計までのスムーズな導線作りをしています。
ーーーお客様の反応はいかがですか？
当店は個室やプライベートカウンターで落ち着いて過ごしていただける空間なので、注文を取るスタッフの出入りが減ったことで、ゆったりと過ごせるといった声をいただきます。
また、従来のスタッフを呼んで注文する形式だと、注文を待たされて焦れったく感じるお客様もいらっしゃったと思います。今ではお客様のタイミングで注文できるため、待ち時間が料理提供を待つ時間に変わり、客席の雰囲気もより穏やかになった印象があります。
セルフオーダーを活用して、離れの増設も計画中
ーーーRespoはどんなお店に役立ちそうでしょうか？
少人数のスタッフで運営しているお店におすすめしたいですね。もし人手が足りなくなった時でも、Respoセルフオーダーがあると運営できますし、導入すると店舗を運営する上で心強いと思います。
ーーー今後のお店の目標がありましたら教えてください。
店舗に隣接する土地に、ペットと一緒に飲食できる離れを作ろうと計画しています。そちらの部屋からもRespoセルフオーダーでお客様にご注文いただき、母屋の店舗と同じように料理提供ができればと思っています。
ペットと利用できる飲食店はまだまだ少ないので、お客様にペットと一緒にゆったりと楽しい時間を過ごせる空間が提供できたら嬉しいですね。
店舗情報
春夏秋冬季節料理 四季亭
