Taking on the Challenge of New Formats to Explore New Needs

「One of the stores opened in Japan was Hamakatsu Konoha Mall Hashimoto, a specialty prepared-food store offering a wide variety of items, including tonkatsu and boxed meals, for takeout. The Company is developing the store to appeal to a broad range of customers.」

「In Japan, the second specialty prepared-food store, Hamakatsu Iwataya Main Store, opened on 26 July. It is a takeout-only store offering a wide variety of products, including tonkatsu and boxed meals, as well as store-exclusive products. The Company will continue developing stores that appeal to a broad range of customers.」

「One of the restaurants opened was Hamakatsu Maing Hakata, a specialty prepared-food store that opened in March as a new format. It is the first specialty prepared-food store in Kyushu and offers a range of takeout-only products, including cutlets and boxed meals, allowing customers to enjoy the restaurant's taste at home.」

「To respond to anticipated changes in the operating environment, the Company will focus on developing formats for the next generation.」

「Growth strategy: Continue opening restaurants in Japan and overseas, centered on the 2 core food-service formats, while also considering the development of the next core format.」

「Tonkatsu Daigaku, which focuses on serving products at the right temperature and maintaining taste, expanded to 7 restaurants and is developing its menu by leveraging its location in shopping-center food courts.」

「The Company opened a total of 62 new restaurants, including Ringer Hut Premium, an upscale format of Nagasaki Champon Ringer Hut; Tonkatsu Daigaku, a tonkatsu format in shopping-center food courts focused on serving products at the right temperature and maintaining taste; and Nagasaki Shippoku Hamakatsu Ginza Main Store, where customers can enjoy Nagasaki's traditional shippoku cuisine in Tokyo. Of these, 1 was in Taiwan, 1 in Thailand, 1 in Cambodia and 1 in Vietnam.」

「Regarding openings and closures, the Company opened 19 restaurants in Japan, including the new-format EVERY BOWL, and closed 2, while opening 1 restaurant overseas. As a result, at the end of the nine months ended the first quarter of the current fiscal year, it had 662 restaurants in Japan and 14 overseas, for a total of 676 restaurants, including 206 franchised restaurants.」

「The Company opened a total of 46 new restaurants, including new-format restaurants such as Ringer Deli, offering carefully selected side dishes and set meals; EVERY BOWL, where customers can choose their preferred deli items and noodles; and tonkatsu restaurants such as Tonkatsu Daigaku in shopping-center food courts, with a focus on serving products at the right temperature and maintaining taste.」

「Among new openings, the Company opened its first bar-style restaurant near Shimbashi Station in Minato-ku, Tokyo, in July 2016, while also pursuing new formats to explore new customer needs. In total, it opened 46 restaurants, primarily in shopping centers in Japan.」

「Among new openings, the Company opened the specialty gyoza restaurant GYOZA LABO Seven Park Ario Kashiwa in April 2016 and, in July, opened its first bar-style restaurant, while also pursuing new formats to explore new customer needs. In total, it opened 35 restaurants, primarily in shopping centers in Japan.」