We introduced both self-ordering and a reservation ledger! “It was so easy to use that we immediately switched over completely” (Sakenomikyūshoku Shime TAGURU)
The izakaya Shutenkyōji TAGURU, where you can enjoy homemade hand-cut soba and local sake from Kanagawa, introduced the Respo self-ordering system in June 2022. Three months later, in September, they also implemented the Respo reservation ledger.
Manager Mr. Tanaka says that streamlining reservation management and order handling has brought many benefits to the restaurant. We asked him about his impressions of each product, along with the advantages of standardizing all their store management systems with AutoReserve’s solutions.
Creation date: 2022年11月1日
Update date: 2026年2月26日
Table of contents
Introduced self-ordering, which may become the mainstream in the future
— What kind of customers do you usually have?
Our customers range widely in age, from their 30s to their 70s, and many of them visit us as couples.
Our customers range widely in age, from their 30s to their 70s, and many of them visit us as couples.
Our shop is located in Kamata, Ota Ward, an area with many independently run businesses, so we often have self-employed customers as well.
— How many staff members run the restaurant?
Since we only have 14 seats and a small space, we basically run it with two people, and when it gets busy, we handle things with three people including part-time staff.
Since we only have 14 seats and a small space, we basically run it with two people, and when it gets busy, we handle things with three people including part-time staff.
— Could you tell us how you first came to consider introducing self-ordering?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became difficult to communicate face-to-face with customers, and order mistakes started to occur. Around that time, I saw a self-ordering system at a restaurant run by an acquaintance and thought, “This might become the standard way of ordering in the future,” which led me to start considering introducing it at our restaurant.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became difficult to communicate face-to-face with customers, and order mistakes started to occur. Around that time, I saw a self-ordering system at a restaurant run by an acquaintance and thought, “This might become the standard way of ordering in the future,” which led me to start considering introducing it at our restaurant.
— Among the many different self-ordering products available, please tell us what made you decide to choose “Respo Self-Order”!The monthly fee was low, so it was easy to introduce even for a small shop like ours.
Also, when we inquired about the product, the response was very quick, which made us feel confident we could use it without worries, so we decided to introduce it. In practice, they carefully provided usage instructions and support for implementation, allowing us to start using it smoothly.
— After introducing the self-order system, were the issues you originally had resolved?
Yes. Now, since almost all of our customers place their orders through Respo Self-Order, order mistakes have disappeared.
Yes. Now, since almost all of our customers place their orders through Respo Self-Order, order mistakes have disappeared.
Also, in the past we were troubled by the rushed atmosphere that sometimes filled the shop, but now customers can order at their own pace, so the entire place has become a much calmer, more relaxed space.
—Did this catch on with customers right away?
Everyone immediately accepted it, saying, “Well, that’s the way things are these days,” and it blended in smoothly.
Everyone immediately accepted it, saying, “Well, that’s the way things are these days,” and it blended in smoothly.
There really weren’t any complaints at all.
When we announced in advance that the ordering method would change with the new system, some customers even practiced on their own.
Prevent cancellations by introducing a reservation ledger!
— Next, I’d like to ask about the Respo reservation ledger. What kind of issues were you originally facing with handling and managing reservations?
Even during business hours we were getting so many phone inquiries that there were plenty of days when two or three staff members just couldn’t keep up. On the other hand, we’d also get calls early in the morning or late at night, so we were wondering if there was a way to make the reservation process more efficient.
Even during business hours we were getting so many phone inquiries that there were plenty of days when two or three staff members just couldn’t keep up. On the other hand, we’d also get calls early in the morning or late at night, so we were wondering if there was a way to make the reservation process more efficient.
Also, when reservations were made by phone, some customers would book without clearly specifying the time or number of people, which sometimes caused problems once they actually arrived at the store.
— Have the issues you were facing been resolved by introducing the Respo reservation ledger?
Yes. Except for same-day walk-ins, almost all of our customers have switched to making reservations through AutoReserve, so the number of reservation calls during business hours has dropped dramatically. Since the number of people and the arrival time are clearly specified on the reservation screen, we no longer have unexpected situations occurring.
Yes. Except for same-day walk-ins, almost all of our customers have switched to making reservations through AutoReserve, so the number of reservation calls during business hours has dropped dramatically. Since the number of people and the arrival time are clearly specified on the reservation screen, we no longer have unexpected situations occurring.
Also, our place is actually an izakaya where you can enjoy soba, but we had customers who came in thinking we were a traditional soba restaurant. With online reservations, people can check the shop information in advance before booking, so I think there are now fewer cases where customers come in and feel, “This isn’t the kind of place I was expecting.”
—Have there been any other positive effects on your shop from introducing the Respo reservation ledger?
It’s that we can prevent same-day cancellations.
It’s that we can prevent same-day cancellations.
Until recently, we were having trouble with same-day cancellations without any notice. Our shop is small and we only open in the evenings, so even a few same-day cancellations result in a significant loss.
AutoReserveOn AutoReserve’s booking screen, a note appears stating that a cancellation fee will be charged, and since more customers now make reservations only after finalizing their party size and time slot, our problem has been resolved.
What are the benefits of consolidating your systems with a single provider?
— With the introduction of the Respo reservation ledger this time, your reservation system, ordering system, and customer management system have all been unified using our products. Are there any advantages to consolidating the systems into one?Yes, there are. Since everything is now linked from the reservation onward, our operations have become easier to understand. Even part-time staff who work irregularly can now check customer information on a single device, and I feel this has helped bring the team together.
---How satisfied are you with the support you received during implementation?
They were very helpful, promptly answering even small questions by email, and when any issues occurred, they reported the solutions and improvements in online meetings. Their thorough support was a great help.
They were very helpful, promptly answering even small questions by email, and when any issues occurred, they reported the solutions and improvements in online meetings. Their thorough support was a great help.
I was actually surprised by how extensive the support was.
— It’s been about a month since you introduced the Respo reservation ledger. Has the transition from paper-based management been going smoothly?
Yes. It was so easy to use that we switched completely to the Respo reservation ledger right away.
Yes. It was so easy to use that we switched completely to the Respo reservation ledger right away.
We want to provide time that lets you feel excited and thrilled together with someone special.
— Lastly, could you tell us about the challenges you’d like to take on as a restaurant, and your thoughts on how you want to run it in the future?
A place where you can enjoy drinks and savor delicious soba. That’s the kind of restaurant I want to create—somewhere you can spend exciting, heartwarming moments with someone special.
At our restaurant, we purchase ingredients carefully grown with heartfelt dedication by local farmers, and make our soba by hand in-house every day. We hope you will fully enjoy the unique flavor of hand-crafted soba, something no machine can reproduce.
We’d be delighted if Respo Self-Order and the Respo Reservation Ledger can help bring TAGURU’s vision to life.Thank you. I think many people have a refined, purely traditional Japanese image of soba restaurants. In fact, the basic business style of soba shops hasn’t really changed for hundreds of years.
However, the world is changing at an incredible speed. Without being bound by traditional images, I want to run the business with our customers’ happiness as the top priority, while also incorporating digital tools like AutoReserve.
We look forward to continuing to support TAGURU for many years to come! Thank you very much for your time today despite your busy schedule.
Store Information
Sake, Soba & Dining TAGURU
Address: 1F, Tsukasa Building, 5-3-7 Kamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/ML6uXf4w7ZWpKFdb26gz
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/ML6uXf4w7ZWpKFdb26gz
