Denny's On The Retreat

[omae mona]

Denny's isn't my dining venue of choice in Japan but there seem to be a lot of backseat drivers here claiming that their problem lies with their failure to follow the US menu when they had decades of success by not following it. It was only in 1969 that the law changed and allowed foreign capital to invest in restaurants in Japan and no-one knew what would work and what wouldn't.

I'm with Mulboyne here. I don't think the menu is their issue. In my old neighborhood, there were two Dennys less than a mile away from each along a major road, where virtually all customers came by car. The drive time between the shops was about two minutes. Both restaurants had a steady flow of customers, but the total number of customers in both restaurants at any given time could have fit into one. For years I was baffled whey they didn't shut one down. If Denny's has many situations like this, then maybe they simply overexpanded. I get the sense that the famiresu business is about location first, prices second, and menu third. When demographics change, they need to adjust.

It is easy to look at chains like McDonalds and KFC who followed the manual/menu and survived while forgetting the likes of Berni Inn, Hardee's, Pizza Inn, Orange Julius, Tastee Freeze and Arby's who all failed. Denny's thought they were pretty smart by localizing the menu from the beginning - a strategy McDonalds later followed - and they did well enough to spawn a fair number of imitators over the years.

Crap, I missed Orange Julius and Arby's?

[ttjereth]

I agree, although I don't think you and I would probably succeed in the Japanese family restaurant business as a result.

But, I do remember when Denny's first came to Japan, their menu carried most of the US items that I liked i.e. the paddie melt, french dip, etc, and had the feel of being in any Denny's in the Southwest US! Bare in mind that this was many, many years ago.

I went a long period without going to one of their outlets and the next time I did, the menu, might has well have been totally Japanese.

If you like patty melts, the Anna Miller's in shinagawa does a very nice one. They are of course famous for their waitresses in the low cut skirts with the *ahem* healthy chests, but somehow I doubt this would prove a problem for you.

I actually go every couple of months just to get a patty melt. The wife even goes with me, helps prevent me feeling like a perv by going alone



And just to sweeten the pot, their Hawaii branch has just about one of the worst commercials I've ever seen.

[ttjereth]

Only found stuff regarding Santeria and Voodoo....interesting stuff. Anyone wanna give me a lock of their hair?

Do you mean "Saizeria"? If so, give me a lock of your hair.

There's a saizeria about a 2 minute walk from our house-in-progress.

[Greji]

If you like patty melts, the Anna Miller's in shinagawa does a very nice one. They are of course famous for their waitresses in the low cut skirts with the *ahem* healthy chests, but somehow I doubt this would prove a problem for you.

I knew the old place, but that sounds worth a look see! Thanks for the link!

The wife even goes with me, helps prevent me feeling like a perv by going alone

Ahh, do you mean that people actually take their wives out? I don't think mine needs to know that!

[omae mona]

If you like patty melts, the Anna Miller's in shinagawa does a very nice one. They are of course famous for their waitresses in the low cut skirts with the *ahem* healthy chests, but somehow I doubt this would prove a problem for you.

Holy cow. There are only 3 branches left? If you look at an archived copy of the same store list page from 2003, there were 13 stores. What happened?

[AssKissinger]

Only found stuff regarding Santeria and Voodoo....interesting stuff. Anyone wanna give me a lock of their hair?

Do you mean "Saizeria"? If so, give me a lock of your hair.

God bless you son, all you need to know about J-Fam dining


http://www.saizeriya.co.jp/

[AssKissinger]

There's a saizeria about a 2 minute walk from our house-in-progress.

Can I come visit?

http://www.saizeriya.co.jp/cgi-bin/menu/views.cgi?n=11

370 for 500 ml of red wine!

[Mulboyne]

Holy cow. There are only 3 branches left? If you look at an archived copy of the same store list page from 2003, there were 13 stores. What happened?

There's some detail in the Japanese wiki. At their peak they had 20 stores in the Tokyo area. The entry also helpfully tells you when each branch opened and closed. 2000 seems to have been a major turning point with 15 shops shut down over subsequent years. The Shinagawa outlet always looks busy although that is no guide to profitablity. The Akasaka outlet is still a draw too: it is open 24 hours and has an entertaining mix of Korean hostesses and other demi-monde characters from the area.

[ttjereth]

[ttjereth]

Can I come visit?

http://www.saizeriya.co.jp/cgi-bin/menu/views.cgi?n=11

370 for 500 ml of red wine!http://www.saizeriya.co.jp/

The saizeriya? Sure thing! ]http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/images/vbimghost/185747ff4ac71b089.jpg[/IMG]

[ttjereth]

There's some detail in the Japanese wiki. At their peak they had 20 stores in the Tokyo area. The entry also helpfully tells you when each branch opened and closed. 2000 seems to have been a major turning point with 15 shops shut down over subsequent years. The Shinagawa outlet always looks busy although that is no guide to profitablity. The Akasaka outlet is still a draw too: it is open 24 hours and has an entertaining mix of Korean hostesses and other demi-monde characters from the area.

I've only been in the Shinagawa shop a few times since moving to Tokyo, but I've never seen it empty, even at really oddball times. I go everytime I have to go to immigration. It's like a little reward to myself for not strangling anyone for the day

[omae mona]

Mrs. Omae Mona was looking exhausted today. I was just about to bark "Bath! Dinner!" as always, and put her to work in the kitchen for a few hours . But then I thought, "hey, maybe this would be a good chance to do a research project for that Denny's thread on FG. So I marched the family over to the neighborhood Denny's.

For 2600 yen, I fed two adults & one kid (not bad for Tokyo). This included soup, spaghetti, and some tooth-destroying beverage for the kid, some gyoza and kakiage udon that were really not at all bad, nomihodai drink set for me (I took advantage of 2-3 refills and some after-dinner coffee), and a dessert for the Mrs. They also had a placemat with games for the kid, and handed out some little plastic toy AND a full deck of cards to play with. We felt absolutely no guilt in having cards sprawled out all over the table playing "go fish" before and during the meal since folks at other tables were doing things equally hazukashii.

And to top it off, there was the star appeal. As we ate, actor Tatsuo Umemiya and his American wife (parents of Anna Umemiya) finished their meal a few tables away (with a sizeable entourage) and paid at the register.

I may go back and hang out there in case they come again with their daughter.

[ttjereth]

Mrs. Omae Mona was looking exhausted today. I was just about to bark "Bath! Dinner!" as always, and put her to work in the kitchen for a few hours . But then I thought, "hey, maybe this would be a good chance to do a research project for that Denny's thread on FG. So I marched the family over to the neighborhood Denny's.

For 2600 yen, I fed two adults & one kid (not bad for Tokyo). This included soup, spaghetti, and some tooth-destroying beverage for the kid, some gyoza and kakiage udon that were really not at all bad, nomihodai drink set for me (I took advantage of 2-3 refills and some after-dinner coffee), and a dessert for the Mrs. They also had a placemat with games for the kid, and handed out some little plastic toy AND a full deck of cards to play with. We felt absolutely no guilt in having cards sprawled out all over the table playing "go fish" before and during the meal since folks at other tables were doing things equally hazukashii.

And to top it off, there was the star appeal. As we ate, actor Tatsuo Umemiya and his American wife (parents of Anna Umemiya) finished their meal a few tables away (with a sizeable entourage) and paid at the register.

I may go back and hang out there in case they come again with their daughter.

We ate their the other night too. I don't necessarily go out of my way to eat there in Japan, but I (at the risk of being lynched here) actually like the Japanese version better than the U.S. one

[Mulboyne]

I may go back and hang out there in case they come again with their daughter.

You'll have a better chance of seeing the daughter at the Monsoon up the road. She's often there.

[Greji]

You'll have a better chance of seeing the daughter at the Monsoon up the road. She's often there.

The Monsoon on the corner?

[xenomorph42]

If you like patty melts, the Anna Miller's in shinagawa does a very nice one. They are of course famous for their waitresses in the low cut skirts with the *ahem* healthy chests, but somehow I doubt this would prove a problem for you.

I actually go every couple of months just to get a patty melt. The wife even goes with me, helps prevent me feeling like a perv by going alone



And just to sweeten the pot, their Hawaii branch has just about one of the worst commercials I've ever seen.

Seriously, that commercial was so gay, but now I got a craving for the joint, man those pies looked awesome!

[2triky]

If you like patty melts, the Anna Miller's in shinagawa does a very nice one. They are of course famous for their waitresses in the low cut skirts with the *ahem* healthy chests, but somehow I doubt this would prove a problem for you.

[ttjereth]

Self portrait?

I see your image and raise you two.

[2triky]

[eddie]

Can I come visit?

http://www.saizeriya.co.jp/cgi-bin/menu/views.cgi?n=11

370 for 500 ml of red wine!

mmm powdered wine.

[Mulboyne]

[Mulboyne]

Skylark has announced that it will be closing 200 restaurants around the country. The company operates family restaurants under the Skylark and Jonathan's names but the closures will mainly be focused on the Bamiyan and Yumean chains. Some will be converted to the low-priced Gusto chain. The move continues the firm's restructuring plan. In 2006, Skylark underwent a management buy-out funded by Nomura Principal Finance and Britain's CVC Capital Partners. The two owners have been unhappy with company president Kiwamu Yokokawa, a member of the original founding family, and have been attempting to remove him.

[Behan]

Darn. I liked Yumean.

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: Skylark to open 100 outlets, shift to low-price strategy

Struggling family restaurant chain operator Skylark Co. plans to open 100 new outlets next year, emphasizing its lower price-point Gusto brand, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Saturday. Anticipating the trend of consumer cost-cutting will intensify in the coming year, the firm intends to accelerate its strategy shift of emphasizing more moderately priced restaurants. The firm--currently under financial reconstruction supported by an investment fund affiliated with Nomura Securities Co.--also plans in 2009 to close about 200 unprofitable restaurants of the about 2,700 branches it operates. About 260 outlets currently operated under the Skylark, Bamiyan and Yumean brand names will be reopened as branches of Gusto and other affordably priced restaurant brands. By opening 100 new restaurants, particularly in urban areas, the firm aims to emphasize price reductions. In August, Skylark announced it would cut 500 workers as a part of its business restructuring. The firm's strategy of opening new restaurant locations may reduce the number of personnel to be cut. Skylark hopes to get approval from banks over its draft restructuring plan, which includes the new-outlet strategy, as soon as Monday. Due to declines in consumer spending as a result of the deteriorating economy, retail prices are predicted to fall in 2009. It is likely that the nation's catering and retail industries will revert to business strategies to tackle deflation similar to those of a few years ago, by reducing prices and increasing retail outlets selling low-priced products. Yoshinoya Holdings Co., the nation's largest operator of restaurants serving gyudon beef-on-rice dishes, also has unveiled a plan to open 100 new outlets in 2009. It would be the company's largest-ever shop-opening project. The nation's other major family restaurant chains, Denny's and Royal Host, also have added low-priced dishes to their menus.

[baka tono]

They can close my local Bamiyan. They are understaffed, messed up my order on several different occasions. the tables are still sticky and dirty even after being wiped, the condiment bottles are dirty and gross. The reusable plastic chopsticks come out of a dirty drawer. The place really should be torched.


(torching disclaimer I would never do such a thing and would prefer a new better restaurant be put there instead)

[omae mona]

They can close my local Bamiyan. They are understaffed, messed up my order on several different occasions. the tables are still sticky and dirty even after being wiped, the condiment bottles are dirty and gross. The reusable plastic chopsticks come out of a dirty drawer. The place really should be torched.

That wouldn't change the dining experience very much. Anyway, as long as it's still dirt cheap and tastes so-so or better, I'm a customer!!! I only had to receive post-Bamiyan antibiotics once, and thanks to my cheap national health insurance, it's still a net gain for me.

[Catoneinutica]

They can close my local Bamiyan. They are understaffed, messed up my order on several different occasions. the tables are still sticky and dirty even after being wiped, the condiment bottles are dirty and gross. The reusable plastic chopsticks come out of a dirty drawer. The place really should be torched.


(torching disclaimer I would never do such a thing and would prefer a new better restaurant be put there instead)

Such a (purely hypothetical!) fire would be a hard mofo to suppress - the entire grease-covered building would act as one big accelerant. My wife has dragged me there a couple of times, and everything looks like it's covered in those greasy head-prints you see on train windows.

[GuyJean]

.. and everything looks like it's covered in those greasy head-prints you see on train windows.

:lol:

GJ

[omae mona]

:lol:

Yappari! I thought I recognized the shape of that oval-shaped grease smear on the Yamanote line window today! Damn you. It mosaiced my view of this hot chick on the platform.

[GuyJean]

.. that oval-shaped grease smear on the Yamanote line window today! Damn you..

Nothing but wholesome butta oozing from my scalp..

Anyway, was never impressed with J-Denny's. Like Jonathans, used to frequent Gusto. Saizeria is ok if you know what to order and don't mind melamine pizzas..

But, I have to say, Salvatore is pretty damn good delivery food. Last night, I had the Family Set for 3,900 yen:
- Salmon Feta pizza
- Sausage pesto pasta
- Roasted chicken in pumpkin cream sauce
- Salad

OD'd on carbs, needed a heart pump for the cholesterol, and gained 2 kilos, but it was yummy. Says it's for 3 people, I think it's perfect for 2..

GJ