Who will be the new champion in the era of “drastic decrease” in the number of families?

A family has disappeared from a family restaurant.

This is how the FRIDAY reporter felt when he visited Saizeriya in Tokyo at 6:00 p.m. on a weekday. The restaurant was crowded with students chatting over a drink bar and Milanese doria (300 yen), and businessmen enjoying the harmony of “arrosticini” (grilled lamb skewers, 400 yen) and “red wine (decanter)” (400 yen), which became a hot topic on SNS as “perfect snacks, The restaurant was crowded with businessmen enjoying the harmony of lamb skewers (400 yen) and “red wine (decanter)” (400 yen).

Saizeriya has gained popularity by offering a variety of inexpensive snacks, such as “spicy chicken” (300 yen) and “chorizo” (400 yen), along with pasta, pizza, and other dishes that everyone likes. No other restaurant offers a 100% beef hamburger for 400 yen,” says food analyst Takao Shigemori.

Saizeriya has maintained its extremely low-cost policy even in the face of recent inflation, and has succeeded in maintaining average prices by raising and lowering prices at the same time. The company operates 1,069 restaurants nationwide, with annual sales of approximately 144.3 billion yen.

In contrast to Saizeriya, which aims for supremacy with its extremely low prices, Royal Host aims to compete with its high unit prices and high quality. Royal Host offers a menu of nearly 4,000 yen dishes that Saizeriya does not offer, such as the “Angus Sirloin Steak & Grilled Chicken with Cottage Pie” (3,828 yen). Add the popular “Royal’s Onion Gratin Soup” (495 yen), which combines slow-fried onions with the company’s own consommé soup, and a drink, and the bill comes to about 5,000 yen per person, about the same as at a fancy restaurant.

The restaurant is thriving in areas where residents have high incomes, such as the Bajikouen branch in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward. We are also going our own way by partnering with airports, such as the Haneda Airport store and the New Chitose Airport store,” says food and beverage consultant Mitsuhiko Suda.

Royal Host operates 222 stores nationwide. Royal Holdings, the operator, is also involved in in-flight meals, outsourcing services at airports and service areas, and hotel business, with combined annual sales of 104 billion yen. Even so, Saizeriya’s annual sales exceeded that of Royal Holdings by approximately 40 billion yen, indicating that in the “super-cheap vs. luxury” battle, “super-cheap” won out.

The Intensifying “Hamburger War

Let us also mention the local war over hamburgers, a staple of the family restaurant menu. The four competitors, BIKKURI DONKEY, Cocos, Bronco Billy, and Charcoal Restaurant Sawayaka, are currently engaged in a fierce battle for the hamburger steak. Mr. Suda continues.

BIKKURI DONKEY’s hamburgers, which are served in a chopstick-eating style, use ground beef and pork and have a familiar taste. This is the standard for hamburgers in family restaurants.

BIKKURI DONKEY, which is popular with everyone, has 341 outlets nationwide, with annual sales of 42.8 billion yen. In addition to the “Cheeseburger Dish” (150 g, 975 yen), a hamburger steak topped with cheese, rice, and salad served on the same wooden plate, the restaurant also offers a variety of desserts such as the “Gateau Chocolat Parfait” (550 yen). Although it is sad to see the large wooden menu, which used to be a specialty of the restaurant, replaced by tablet terminals, the restaurant remains steadfastly popular.

Bronco Billy has 134 outlets, which is less than BIKKURI DONKEY, but its recurring profit margin is about 15%, three times the industry average.

Although its hamburgers are not inexpensive (1,078 yen for 200 grams), Bronco Billy’s product quality and service have increased customer satisfaction.

Bronco Billy has a salad bar called the Fresh Salad Bar. Bronco Billy has a salad bar called the “Fresh Salad Bar,” which is staffed by a certified vegetable sommelier, and allows customers to enjoy seasonal vegetables. This is an attraction not found in other family restaurants,” said food journalist Junnosuke Nagahama.

With 510 stores nationwide, Cocos appears to be on solid ground with popular menu items such as the “thick beef stew wrapped hamburger steak” (979 yen), but there is an unexpected pitfall.

However, there is an unexpected pitfall: “The stores are aging. It would be more profitable to close old stores, especially unprofitable ones, and switch operations to Sukiya and Hamasushi, which are doing well in the same group,” said Suda.

Sawayaka, which operates only in Shizuoka, is so popular that customers line up every day for its only 34 restaurants. Most customers order the “Genkotsu hamburger steak” (1,265 yen).

It is served on a hot iron plate, and a paper napkin is used to prevent the juices from splashing. It retains its meaty flavor, but is soft enough for even the elderly to enjoy.

The hamburger war is likely to continue for some time to come, with each side displaying its own individuality.

The Suikai-Laoku Group, which has the nation’s largest number of Gusto restaurants (1,281), Bamiyan (352), Jonathan (188), and Yumean (167), and has built a major empire in the family restaurant industry with annual sales of approximately 300 billion yen, has no blind spots.

Gusto is nowadays taking advantage of the demand for a little drink with its “Fried Chicken & Asahi Super Dry Set” (600-800 yen), while at the same time reducing the number of outlet seats in some of its restaurants,” says B-class gourmet food explorer Yagyu Kyubei.

Taking into account the recent trend toward specialty restaurants rather than “all-around players,” there is also a move to reorganize the entire group.

Last year, we announced the closure of 100 stores throughout the group. It is thought that the aim is to close unprofitable stores and increase the number of specialty stores that specialize in a single art. The current hot spot within the group is “La Ohana. The concept of a Hawaiian restaurant is unusual, and the relaxed atmosphere is comfortable.’ The first store opened in 2009, and in two years the number has grown to 22 stores nationwide, mainly in the Kanto region,” (Suda, above).

When this reporter actually visited the La Ohana store a little past 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, he was greeted with an “Aloha~” greeting from the male staff. The tropical interior with palm trees and surfboards was fresh.

While enjoying the “eire” menu items such as the Salmon Ahi Poke Don (1,400 yen) and Fruit Tea Soda (748 yen), I asked a staff member about the restaurant and was told, “This used to be Jonathan’s. It’s really part of the SUKAIRAKU group. I asked the staff, “This used to be Jonathan’s. People ask me, ‘Are you really part of the Sukairaku Group? (laugh).

Suda said, “While managing each brand, we strategically open new restaurants in accordance with the changing times and business conditions.

As the number of traditional families continues to decline due to the declining birthrate, family restaurants are trying to survive on their own strengths. Among these, the position of the absolute champion, which makes full use of a wide variety of outlets and is willing to change in order to win customers, is unlikely to be shaken for some time.

From the September 8, 2023 issue of FRIDAY