Maintaining and Expanding the Profitability of Existing Stores
First written in FY2019. 6 of 19 entries say "Restated". Latest entry: FY2027-H1.
The whole theme swung hardest in 2026: 2 of 13 companies on the "Worse" side.
1 other company's latest entry also says "Other".
- FY2027-H1First-half profit fell year on year due to new-store openings and refurbishment costs, while the company described efforts to strengthen its earnings baseAnnual report
「Profit was below the year-earlier period due to higher costs associated with new store openings and repairs and renovations at existing stores. Meanwhile, we strengthened our earnings base by developing our store opening, operations and staffing structures during the first half. Cumulative sales and profit through August are both tracking above plan.」
While first-half profit fell below the year-earlier period due to the costs of new store openings and repairs and renovations at existing stores, the Company stated that it was strengthening its earnings base by developing its store opening, operations and staffing structures. - 2026-06-10RestatedResults
「Our efforts to enhance salad bars, introduce hot bars and develop experiential desserts at existing stores have helped strengthen customer visit incentives and create reasons to return.」
The company continues initiatives to strengthen reasons for customers to visit and return to existing stores. - FY2026AdvancedAnnual report
「The total labor costs-to-sales ratio for the current fiscal year was 25.4%, down 0.2% year on year.」
The Company continued negotiating purchase prices, reviewing supplier selection and reducing the burden of logistics costs, while the total labor costs-to-sales ratio fell to 25.4%, down 0.2 percentage points year on year. - 2026-03-11RestatedResults
「As the range of salad bar offerings and initiatives has expanded, the workload involved in replenishment and cleaning has increased, and operational issues have also become apparent.」
While expanding initiatives at existing stores, the company continues to identify increased replenishment and cleaning workloads and operational challenges. - FY2026-H1RestatedAnnual report
「Our aim is to have customers naturally say, “The service has improved,” while operating with fewer store employees. However, training is currently failing to keep pace, and we have begun receiving many complaints about QSC (product quality, customer service and cleanliness) at our stores,」
The Company continues to state its policy of reconciling lean staffing with improved service quality, as well as the issue of QSC complaints resulting from insufficient training. - FY2025Labor-cost ratio edged down, but profit growth has not yet been achievedAnnual report
「The total labor costs-to-sales ratio for the current fiscal year was 25.7%, down 0.1% year on year.」
While efficiency improvements led to a slight decline in the total labor costs-to-sales ratio to 25.7%, the Company states that initiatives prioritizing higher customer traffic have not yet resulted in higher profit. - FY2025-H1Profit growth has not kept pace with the recovery in customer trafficAnnual report
「We are working to increase customer traffic even at the cost of higher expenses, but the increase has not yet reached the point of increasing profit, and we believe this is a critical juncture.」
While prioritizing higher customer traffic and pursuing initiatives that entail additional costs, the Company acknowledged that these efforts have not yet resulted in higher profit. - FY2024Higher labor-cost ratio and ongoing QSC issues reported togetherAnnual report
「Our aim was to have customers say, “The service has improved,” while operating with fewer store employees. However, training has failed to keep pace, and we have begun receiving many complaints about QSC (product quality, customer service and cleanliness) at our stores,」
While aiming to reconcile lean staffing with service quality, the Company reported an increase in QSC complaints due to insufficient training. The total labor costs-to-sales ratio was 25.8%, up 0.6% year on year. - FY2024-Q2Incomplete QSC improvements reported by store percentageAnnual report
「Although staff have become relatively capable of clearing tables after taking orders, replenishing the salad bar and cleaning have still not been implemented thoroughly, and standards cannot be considered adequate at approximately one-third of stores.」
While continuing efforts to reconcile lean staffing with service quality, the Company states that salad bar replenishment and cleaning have not been implemented adequately at approximately one-third of stores. - FY2024-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「Amid expense reductions during the COVID-19 pandemic, we pursued productivity improvements. Our aim was to provide better service than before with fewer store employees and have customers say, “The service has improved.”」
The Company reaffirmed its policy of pursuing expense reductions and productivity improvements while seeking to reconcile lean staffing with service quality. It also noted QSC-related issues stemming from insufficient training. - FY2023AdvancedAnnual report
「Although personnel-related costs associated with labor shortages are expected to continue increasing, efficiency initiatives brought the total personnel cost-to-sales ratio for the consolidated fiscal year to 25.2%, down 2.3 percentage points year on year.」
Efficiency initiatives reduced the total personnel cost-to-sales ratio to 25.2%, down 2.3 percentage points year on year. - FY2023-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「During the first 3 quarters of the current fiscal year, we implemented the following measures: (1) checking timetables to assign staff according to projected customer traffic, and (2) conducting service tests for each table and providing training so that staff can deliver Asakuma's standard level of service.」
To reconcile lean staffing with service quality, the Company implemented specific measures including staffing based on projected customer traffic and table-by-table service tests. It also states that some stores continued to receive complaints about inadequate service due to insufficient training. - FY2023-Q2Employee-cost reductions and service-quality issues reported togetherAnnual report
「While cutting expenses amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we proceeded with labor cost reductions. Our aim was to provide better service than before with fewer store employees and have customers say, “The service has improved.” However, training failed to keep pace, and we began receiving many complaints about service at our stores.」
While aiming to reconcile lean staffing with improved service, the Company states that training failed to keep pace with labor cost reductions, resulting in an increase in service complaints. - FY2022AdvancedAnnual report
「While carrying out these activities, we have reduced rent, labor costs and other expenses since the previous fiscal year, thereby lowering the break-even point. This effect has also continued during the current fiscal year,」
The Company maintained the benefits of reducing rent, labor costs and other expenses and lowering the break-even point during the current fiscal year, reducing the operating loss from ¥695.188 million in the previous fiscal year to ¥340.968 million. - FY2022-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「As a result of efforts throughout the fiscal year to lower the break-even point, operating income turned positive during the third quarter of the consolidated fiscal year.」
The company states that lowering the break-even point resulted in positive operating income in the third quarter. - FY2022-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「To limit the impact of declining sales, we focused on reducing fixed costs such as rent and labor costs and lowered the break-even point, thereby minimizing the impact.」
The Company states that it minimized the impact of declining sales by reducing fixed costs such as rent and labor costs and lowering the break-even point. - FY2021RestatedAnnual report
「We are addressing rising costs by continuing to implement measures including leveraging the Group's scale in negotiating purchase prices with business partners, reviewing supplier selection and reducing the burden of logistics costs.」
The Company continues measures to address rising costs through purchase price negotiations, a review of supplier selection and lower logistics costs. - FY2020RestatedAnnual report
「We are addressing rising costs by continuing to implement measures including negotiating purchase prices with business partners, reviewing supplier selection and reducing the burden of logistics costs.」
The Company continues measures to maintain costs and profitability through purchase price negotiations, a review of supplier selection and lower logistics costs. - FY2019First statedAnnual report
「We aim to improve profitability by improving the cost ratio through thorough cost management, including negotiations with suppliers over purchase prices.」
In response to higher raw-material prices, the company aims to improve existing-restaurant profitability through purchase-price negotiations and cost management.