Ringer Hut's Recipe for Global Restaurant Chain Success

Food-related exports have reached a record high for 11 consecutive years, reaching 1.45 yen in 2023. This trend is reflected globally as well, with the number of Japanese restaurants more than tripling over the past decade, from 55,000 in 2013 to over 200,000 today. What factors do you attribute to the growing popularity of Japanese food abroad, record exports, and the significant increase in the number of Japanese restaurants worldwide?

As you know, a major turning point was the recognition of Japanese food as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2013. This recognition brought global attention to Japanese food and its unique qualities.

One of the key aspects of washoku is its emphasis on diversity and minimizing waste. Japanese cuisine often focuses on using every part of its ingredients, reflecting a deep respect for food and sustainability. This approach is not only unique, but increasingly appreciated in today's global food culture.

Over the next 15 years, Japan is expected to undergo major demographic changes, including an aging and shrinking population. As a result, there will be a labor shortage and a shrinking domestic market. What challenges and opportunities does this present for your firm and how are you navigating these changes to ensure long-term success?

One of these is digital transformation (DX) to improve the efficiency and convenience of store operations. We have made great progress in automating the kitchen in the Ringer Hut business, and operations have already been streamlined considerably. However, Hamakatsus business remains traditional, so we are working to modernize and streamline our operations by further automating our operations there.

Can you give us some examples of automation in the kitchen?

One example of this approach is the fryer. Traditionally, experienced chefs relied on their expertise to monitor their tonkatsu, carefully watching for them to change color, begin to float, and reach other visual and tactile indicators that they were ready to be rotated or removed. Their skill and intuition ensured that the pork cutlets were cooked to perfection every time.

We are currently working on installing an auto fryer that replicates this expertise. By setting the exact temperature and cooking time to match the nature of the tonkatsu, we can maintain the same high quality output while increasing the consistency and efficiency of the process. We are currently testing the system at one restaurant in Japan with very promising results. If all goes well, we aim to roll out the system to more stores starting in March.

As the domestic market shrinks, do you have an international strategy to address this challenge? Are you focusing on attracting more foreign customers to your restaurants in Japan, or are you considering opening new outlets abroad?

We have employed foreign workers at three of our factories for the past eight years. Currently, these facilities employ approximately 80 Vietnamese and Indonesian workers. More recently, we have begun hiring foreign staff for our restaurants in Tokyo, where we now about 30 foreign employees. We see this as a promising initiative and plan to expand it further in the future.

Japanese food is often considered a luxury item overseas, but in Japan, a bowl of ramen can be enjoyed for as little as 500-600 yen. How do you see this contrast? What are the main differences between restaurants in Hawaii and those in Japan?

In Japan, the emphasis is on automation to reduce workers' dependence on labor. Much of the work is done by machines, which can be done quickly and efficiently   , making it very convenient. However, we recognize that this approach does not work well overseas, where customers often demand a different experience.

For example, Nagasaki Sara Udon uses the same machines and processes as in Japan to maintain consistency. However, the Hawaii location is positioned as a Japanese restaurant, not a fast food style chain like in Japan. In Hawaii, the chefs also offer completely homemade dishes, catering to local tastes and providing a more traditional dining experience.

Ringer Hut was founded in 1962 and is famous for its traditional local cuisine such as Nagasaki Champon. 1974 saw the opening of the first Ringer Hut restaurant in Nagasaki, and the company has grown both domestically and internationally, including the United States and Thailand. How have your roots in Nagasaki influenced your development and identity as a company? Also, please tell us about some of the most important accomplishments in the history of Ringer Hut.

One of key aspects of our success is continually setting and achieving new goals.

This is our commitment. When we opened our first store in Nagasaki, our initial goal was to.

Our goal was to open 100 stores nationwide. After reaching that milestone, we set new goals 200, then 300, then 400. In this way, the field.

Setting ambitious goals and continually striving to achieve them is the driving force behind our growth and development as a company.

Initially, we focused on opening stores in Nagasaki, and from there we expanded to Fukuoka. After that, we decided to go straight to Tokyo. We anticipated that many companies would target Tokyo, so we wanted to move early to secure a prime location.

While based in Tokyo, the company continued to expand throughout Kyushu, successfully entering the Tokyo market in 1990, a milestone that allowed the company to shift its focus to overseas expansion.

Ringer Hut is the most popular and well-known restaurant chain, famous for its Nagasaki chanpon and sara udon. The chain embodies the core of your company's identity, serving delicious and affordable traditional Japanese regional cuisine. With over 500 stores in Japan and branches abroad, including one in Hawaii, it has become a household name. What do you think has contributed to the success of the Ringer Hut chain and how do you think it stands out from other competing restaurants?

 To achieve this goal, he recognized the need to open many stores and make chanpon widely accessible to the public.

However, the traditional kitchen environment, where chefs use large Chinese frying pans to prepare each dish, is time consuming and inefficient for large-scale operations

We noticed. To address this, the kitchen system was redesigned to optimize efficiency while maintaining the authentic taste and quality of the food.

This innovation has been a key element of our success, allowing us to expand our operations both domestically and internationally and open so many new stores.

How successful has the restaurant been internationally?

In Hawaii, the restaurant Ringer Hut operated in a food court until last year. Due to the small kitchen space, the restaurant relied primarily on automated processes similar to those in Japan.

Last July, the restaurant moved to a larger space and added 70 seats, transforming itself into a more traditional Japanese restaurant. This allowed us to expand our menu beyond chanpon. This allowed us to offer a greater variety of dishes. We feel that this change has been successful because it more appropriately meets our customers' expectations and enhances their dining experience.

Do you have plans to open new stores in other countries?

We originally operated three stores in Vietnam, but unfortunately we lost our stores due to the Corona disaster. We have since re-established a local branch in Vietnam and aim to open more stores within this year or over the next year.

The company aims to further expand by opening approximately 100 stores in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam in the future.

Do you have any recommendations for a first time visitor? 

Without a doubt, Nagasaki Champon.

One of the hallmarks of Japanese cuisine is its ability to embrace the four seasons, and many restaurants offer seasonal   dishes. Your restaurant also offers seasonal dishes. How do you incorporate the four seasons into your menu to enhance not only the quality of the food, but also the overall dining experience for your guests?

We focus on seasonal ingredients and use them to create dishes that are in tune with the taste and essence of the moment. This is a core part of what we have been doing for the past decade.

However, summers in Japan are becoming increasingly harsh due to rising temperatures. In response, we have shifted our focus from seasonal ingredients to offering cool and refreshing dishes during the summer months. For example, we have introduced "hiyashi chanpon," a chanpon made into a cold product. This dish has been part of our menu for the past seven or eight years and has been well received by customers looking for relief from the summer heat.

One your other restaurant chains, Hama Katsu, specializes in breaded and deep-fried pork cutlets. The chain is famous for its commitment to quality ingredients, including premium cuts of pork, freshly made breaded bread crumbs, and an assortment of side dishes such as cabbage, rice, and miso soup. While there are many tonkatsu restaurants in Japan, how do you differentiate yourself in such a competitive market? What are your plans for the future growth and development of the Hamakatsu chain? What opportunities do you see for the future growth and development of the hamakatsu chain?

There are three things that set Hamakatsu apart from other tonkatsu restaurants. We place great emphasis on creating an authentic Japanese atmosphere. The restaurant is spacious, with seating for over 80 guests, providing a relaxed and comfortable dining experience. The interior design aesthetic is distinctly Japanese and adds to the overall ambiance. From the beginning, we set a goal to provide the best service in Kyushu, and it continues to be our priority. We use premium ingredients and ensure that all of our dishes meet the highest standards.

What also differentiated us in the past and is still something to be proud of is that we offered the pleasure of choice: all-you-can-eat rice, miso soup, cabbage, and pickles, as well as the option to choose the type of miso soup and the way the cabbage is cut.

Do you think there is a possibility of opening a pork cutlet restaurant abroad?

There is already one store in Thailand, and in March this year, the same shopping center will open in Thailand.

The company will open one Ringer Hut  and one Hamakatsu restaurant in the city's newest neighborhood.

Inbound tourism is a large part of the Japanese economy, with 37 million visitors last year; by 2030, the Japanese government aims to reach 60 million. However, this rapid growth has led to overtourism in places like Kyoto, where major train stations and attractions are often crowded with foreign tourists. In response, new tourist destinations are being developed throughout Japan, but Nagasaki. I believe that inbound tourism is one of them. Do you see inbound tourism as a powerful business opportunity for your company? If so, what strategies or steps are you taking to attract and appeal to these international visitors?

In Tokyo, especially in the city center, we do not see many large scale tourists, but we do receive individual tourists, especially on weekends. This is the trend observed so far.

What impressed me, however, was the situation in Kyushu. Many of the restaurants in Hamakatsu are quite spacious and thus able to accommodate large numbers of tourists. For example, tour companies often book entire restaurants and bring in busloads of visitors, usually from Korea or Taiwan. This is one of the ways in which inbound tourism has positively impacted our business.

In addition to restaurants, frozen foods are sold in Japan on platforms such as Amazon, allowing consumers to enjoy their food at home. Products such as Ringer Hut Nagasaki Chanpon Frozen Noodles have received high praise from customers themselves, who say they are "easy to make" and "insanely delicious. How do you ensure that your frozen products replicate the same high quality taste and experience as the food served in restaurants?

Frozen foods are produced in factories using the exact same ingredients and processes as the food served in restaurants. This allows us to maintain the same high quality taste and provide our customers with the same dining experience in their own   homes.

However, one of the challenges we are currently facing is bean sprouts. We have not been able to include them in our frozen products because they look bad when frozen. At this time, we have not found a suitable substitute for the bean sprouts, but we continue to work on it.

Partnerships play an important role in the industry, especially when collaborating with food and beverage suppliers on an international scale. These partnerships are essential to support our overseas expansion, ensure a stable supply of high quality ingredients overseas, and maintain the quality of our Japanese products. Are you looking to expand your partnerships abroad to support international growth and seek new partnerships to franchise your restaurants globally?

In the case of franchising, the most pressing possibility is probably Thailand. However, in order for franchising to be feasible, a sufficient number of outlets must be established in the area. The same applies to working with local business partners, such as farms and suppliers, who need to have a significant presence in the market to make their agreements practical and profitable.

Last year we celebrated our 50th anniversary (of opening Nagasaki Champon Ringer Hut).  returning for another interview in 2034 to celebrate your 60th anniversary. What goals or ambitions would you like to achieve as CEO by then?

As I mentioned earlier, our goal is to open 100 stores in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Achieving this is an important step in our future growth. Once we reach that milestone, we hope to re-establish ourselves in Hong Kong and Taiwan, where we previously had stores but no longer have them. We will then explore opportunities in other countries.

For more information, please visit the following Web: http://www.ringerhut.co.jp/

To read more about Ringer Hut, check out this article about them