Japanese food at more affordable prices

MANILA, Philippines - Real Japanese cuisine, in raw or cooked form, has very little appeal to some consumers because of price, taste and the amount of time needed to have it prepared or served on the table.

Realizing these constraints, Karate Kid, the newest Japanese quick-serve restaurant made Japanese dishes more affordable and fast (literally like fast foods).

Karate Kid went a notch higher by fusing American and other cuisines into its menu, again with the same affordability and freshly cooked quality meals served like fast foods. But the fusion utilizes Japanese condiments and ingredients, hence the burgers, takoyaki, crepes and pastas, including coffee and tea and cakes that taste more Japanese than Western. Also, the plates and bowls are more Japanese in design.

Its outlet at the second floor of Megamall, Building A is the first outlet to open last April using the “converted” menu and store look  from its previous Japanese cooking. Because of this conversion, “we have been attracting largely family crowds, young students and yuppies whose craving for a wider selection of food can be answered in just one Karate Kid, making us a one-stop shop for diners,” said Michael Ang, president of the 17 outlets of Karate Kid in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Ang, a franchisee of another Japanese restaurant that folded up in early 2000, bought the knocked down machines of his franchisor to disengage himself from the long-term franchise contract. Then he had the machine fixed, which cost a lot, and put up his commissary and office in Banawe, Quezon City near his residence.

He then talked to the mall owners where his franchised outlet was located and updated them of the situation and that he was putting up his own restaurant. They eagerly approved his plan and continued his lease on the space. That then became the first Karate Kid store in Robinsons Manila, a 120-square meter casual dining store at the fourth level when it opened in 2002.

He then put up the stores in KPMG Building on Ayala Avenue, then Walter Mart, then Mall of Asia and Robinsons Cabanatuan, until the outlets grew to 17.

With the successful conversion of his Megamall store, followed by the ongoing conversions of KPMG and Walter Mart, Ang is now investing heavily on converting the menu and store looks of all 17 outlets, which he hopes to complete this year so he can embark on opening new outlets in the years to come.

He said the investment in converting one store is about P100,000 for the equipment and fixtures and for the menu, kitchen and store appearance, it could reach P1.5 to P2 million.

 His blockbusters are the quarter cut teriyaki chicken; ika fry, Gyudon, beef teriyaki, tonkatsu (pork), and fish ketsu all priced at P99 with refillable rice; chicken Katsudon, pork and Ebi Katsudon, are priced at P115.

When he finally embarks on his outlet expansion, he hopes to locate the new stores in schools, office buildings and condominiums and other malls that are flexible in their requirements for lessees’ changing designs and business concepts.

Ang hopes to enter into franchising later—after completing the conversions of existing outlets--- which will enable him to expand his business and share his dynamic business concepts amid a changing global business environment.

He is also starting to train his growing employee force, now at 250, into adopting a truly service orientation and elevate the standards of each stores through the comments and suggestion box, encouraging customers to email their concerns and suggestions, and updating the company’s website for everyone to view.

Ang said he will not wait until he becomes successful in that “I am copied by others which means I am doing right; I make my employees and customers very happy and I am able to generate more employment and business opportunities for other people.”