How did the shop come about?
I used to work in the welfare sector. I used to love ramen, and after working in the welfare sector, I decided to train at a ramen restaurant in Fukuoka!
Our current shop is where we moved to after the Corona disaster. I used to operate mainly at night in the centre of Kumamoto City, but due to repeated emergency declarations and shortened opening hours, I have not been able to make everything satisfactory due to financial problems, but I am satisfied with the balance between rent and location.
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But I am also satisfied with the balance between rent and location. I’m also more profitable now, so I’m glad I took the plunge and relocated. I think it’s a good thing that I moved here.
What challenges did you face before introducing the soup strainer?
Before the introduction of the rich soup strainer, we had to strain the soup by hand, which was time-consuming and physically demanding, and not a task that anyone could do.
It is heavy, hot and dangerous, so it is not a task that women or part-time workers can be asked to do. It also takes away your grip strength and your arms and elbows hurt a lot.
Were there any innovations or difficulties in the process from consideration to introduction?
I knew a user, Yamato-san, who runs a ramen shop in Hyogo Prefecture, and he recommended me to introduce the system.
It has become possible to finish work in one hour, whereas it used to take two hours.
The biggest challenge we faced when introducing the system was space. When we introduced the machine, the shop had not yet moved to a new location, so it was quite small and we had a hard time.
But the machine was compact, so we managed to get the work done, thanks to Yamato-san!
Now that we have relocated, we have no problems.
Have there been any changes before and after the introduction of Rich Soup?
Before the introduction of Rich Soup, the soup was uneven from person to person, which was always a bottleneck and I couldn’t delegate much, but now I can delegate more.
What are your dreams for the future?
First of all, my immediate goal is to add another shop, even though we are still in such a difficult situation right now! In the future, we will definitely introduce one Rich Soup in each shop!
Finally – what kind of existence is Yamato Manufacturing?
They are like a mother (mother) (sense of security).
