B.Y.O operates 16 brands and 116 stores, based on its philosophy of “creating food that passes on Japanese culture.”
By Arthur Menkes and Paul Mannion
Founded in 1991, B.Y.O. is a Japanese company that operates a variety of restaurant brands primarily focused on Japanese cuisine. President Koji Nakano says the company wants to broaden perceptions of Japanese cuisine beyond popular dishes like sushi and udon. “Our company philosophy is to innovate Japanese cuisine while preserving and passing on traditional Japanese culture,” Nakano says. The company adjusts its menus according to the season so local customers can enjoy seasonal cuisine. It makes over 800 menu changes each year across its 16 brands. These changes allow its customers to discover new favorites while preserving the traditions of Japanese cuisine, and its commitment to seasonality is a key part of the dining experience.
The company plans to open new restaurants, both overseas and in major Japanese cities. Through the development of franchises, it wants to build a brand loved by many people. It has begun accepting franchise applications for “Dashi Chazuke + Niku Udon En,” which currently has 27 restaurants nationwide, mainly in Tokyo. The franchise is a high-class, Japanese, healthy fast-food restaurant that serves excellent dashi chazuke, onigiri (rice balls) and udon noodles with beef cooked in dashi broth. Along with its franchisees, B.Y.O. hopes to spread the appeal of dashi throughout the world. The company also offers bottled dashi and other products on its website for domestic delivery, so customers can recreate the tastes of its restaurants at home.
Well-balanced Japanese cuisine
The company is in the midst of recruiting personnel who aspire to “innovate Japanese cuisine.” B.Y.O. actively recruits people who search for new values in Japanese food and aspire to create rich dishes with a commitment to deliciousness and hospitality. Through a comprehensive training program, recruits are not only from Japan but are multinational, and the company boasts employees from Vietnam, Nepal, Myanmar, Indonesia and Taiwan. The program teaches cooking techniques, knowledge of food ingredients, hospitality and store management and helps recruits gain a wide range of experiences and grow as well-balanced chefs, staff and managers.
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is one of the most prestigious culinary schools in the world and invited B.Y.O. to demonstrate a receipe for “Dashi Chazuke”. “The fact that such a renowned institution recognized the potential of dashi reinforces our belief in its global appeal,” Nakano says. This recognition solidified the company’s ambition to expand Dashi Chazuke En overseas.
B.Y.O. conveys the depth of Japanese cuisine with dishes beyond the globally beloved sushi and tempura. It is seeking to go beyond simply opening restaurants abroad and is looking for international partners to satisfy the globe’s fascination of Japanese cuisine.
To hear more from President Koji Nakano of B.Y.O. Inc, check out this interview with him.
0 COMMENTS