Japan's casual dining chains woo solo eaters in pandemic age

Feb 12, 2022 | News On Japan

Feb 12, 2022 (Nikkei) - Cheaper than full-fledged restaurants but a step up from fast food, Japan's diner-style chains are a popular, quick way to feed a hungry family.

But the "family restaurant" business model has been disrupted by COVID-19. The families themselves are not returning.

Skylark Holdings, one of Japan's leading operators in this field, will reconfigure locations accordingly. Counter seats will be added at 360 stores it plans to open or renovate in 2022.

The aim is to lure in more solo customers.

Seats will be added at Gusto casual eateries, American-style Jonathan's stores and the Bamiyan chain of Chinese restaurants, for example. Each location will have five or six seats, equipped with power outlets.

Skylark has experimented with counter seats before, but this will mark its first time introducing them on a nationwide basis.

Skylark has struggled to attract solo customers. It introduced touch-screen menus in 2020 for individual guests to place orders from without interacting with servers.

Last February, the group introduced stores specializing in takeout and deliveries.

The Gusto chain has cut lunchtime prices at its drink bar, with an eye on demand from solo customers as they work from home.

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