How time limits can actually be effective.

Hi there, welcome. It's cold today, isn't it? You haven't caught a cold, have you?

No, really. It's cold.
Saying it's cold doesn't solve anything, but this is tough.

My feet are freezing. I'm fully bundled up and prepared for the cold.
But exposed parts like my fingers and face are an insurmountable wall.

I wish it would get warmer.

Small-scale restaurants.

Restaurants seem to be opening all the time, one way or another.

Of course, they close just as often.
This must be really difficult, no matter what.

Like shops that have been working hard to be community-focused from the start.
Operations supported by regular customers.

With rising prices and soaring utility costs, it's difficult to maintain current menu prices in the first place.

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They should just raise their prices; I think their regulars would understand the situation.
Even so, they stubbornly keep prices the same.

Rising costs of goods and SG&A expenses.

Management being squeezed, and then closing down.
Well, I understand the sentiment, though.

You can't stay the same as you were in the past forever.
I suppose that's just Japan today.

Real estate ownership.

Mr. S has developed a somewhat unusual business model.

He owns a small detached property, and the location isn't bad.
Since he doesn't have to pay rent, he's a bit more at ease in that regard.

He's the type who doesn't like long working hours, and he's a rational thinker.

The business type is a restaurant.
If you think about it normally, it's not exactly a rational business category, is it?

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I think it's been about five years since we met.
Right around before COVID.

Back when he had a vacant property and was asking for advice on how to use it.

I don't have a strong desire to do this, so I'll make various suggestions.
I don't have a strong desire to do this, so I'll make various suggestions.

The response to the idea of a restaurant was just a 'that would be nice if it could work' level.
And so, before long, we headed in that direction.

Business hours.

The best time for a restaurant to compete is definitely at night.

If alcohol is served and customers linger, the average spend per customer increases.
However, this suggestion is too ordinary, so I won't make it.

Or rather, given Mr. S's personality, he would likely make a dubious face at a standard business model.

So, I'll lease out the dinner time slot.
The direction will be to see if we can do something just for lunch.

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The lunch menu provided will be super limited.

Only 50 meals a day.
I'll set boundaries like that.

The unit price is 1,500 yen, plus 200 yen if a drink is ordered.
Or rather, they'll mostly be ordered, right?

Average customer spend of 1,700 yen. 50 meals.
The maximum daily revenue is 85,000 yen. I won't be greedy beyond that.

Closed on weekends and holidays, thoroughly targeting the business crowd.
Since it's a place that can also be used for dinner, it's not like it's cramped.

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Complete withdrawal by 3:00 PM.
Hand over the space to the dinner-time establishment.

The good thing about this model is that once a tenant is decided, rental income is guaranteed.
And, 'since we only make 50 meals, procurement is also limited'.

It's boring if it's the same every day, so we'll decide what to make based on a set cost.

In a business district, you can easily sell about 50 meals. There are lines everywhere at lunchtime.

As he gets into the rhythm, Mr. S starts to feel the potential.

The COVID-19 pandemic.

A pandemic that plunged many people into despair.

The streets were so clear, you'd think everyone had disappeared from the world.
That said, it's not like people had completely vanished from the business district.

As long as people are alive, they get hungry.

Although the number of people at lunchtime certainly decreased, there were customers who definitely came.

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Conversely, many rival shops close early.
Since lunch isn't profitable, many shops focus all their energy on the evening.

In the midst of this, Mr. S's shop was surprisingly successful.

Perhaps the idea of being lunch-only and limiting the quantity caught people's attention, as many customers came via social media.

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Since there's an impression that it's usually crowded and sold out, there are even customers who think, 'Maybe I can make it now.'

He could increase sales by producing more, but Mr. S is lazy.
And by then, a policy of limiting it to 50 servings had taken root.

It continued to sell out every day.
The shop became popular, and it seems that momentum benefited the dinner time as well.

With no rental losses, he managed to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic successfully.

Buyout.

Mr. S enjoyed the hands-on experience for a while.
So, shortly after the pandemic ended, he sold the business.

He already had a decent, stable income from real estate and investments.
It seems his philosophy is to enjoy hobbies in moderation.

In fact, the sale was completed under favorable conditions.

Whether he decided to make it 100 servings or charge 2,000 yen, he could do as he pleased.
For me, as long as the rent for both day and night is paid, that's the best outcome.

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Should I call it renting by the hour?
In the end, it closed on terms that were very favorable for Mr. S.

It seems they are still operating energetically today, so it was a good plan.
If you can suppress your greed, it's a realistic business.

I don't see Mr. S much these days, but sometimes he brings me deals.
It's better to have this kind of distance.

Looking ahead.

There are many business owners who work hard, trying their best.
No, it's not limited to business owners.

We are entering an era where the direction of that effort is being scrutinized.

Genres that rely on the old-fashioned grit of pushing volume are gradually declining.
Rational thinking and securing one's own free time are key.

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If you can generate profit on top of this, then it's the right way to go.

Perhaps as time goes on, this too will decline and be replaced by something new.
The world flows and is constantly changing.

Eventually, when you can no longer adapt to the changes.
You get swallowed up by the new flow. It's a repeating cycle.

Let's keep doing our best.

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