Lazrowp

Yeah......I tried my 11th hour plan and it didn't work: I went up to NYC to speak with a Japanese restaurant company and propose that they come in as a partner or take over the operation....but they were not interested. So I informed my landlord and now I am closing up shop legally & ect. and that is why the space is available and has the sign. (Anyone interested in Philly should consider this space as it really has a location location location). Paul

Sooo…...I received an email from the Philadelphia Weekly several months ago and they wanted to interview me about this thread. Of course I agreed and Kristen Henri and I met once and we spoke about E-Gullet and thread I started, my dream, my passion, the processes I had been through, and progress. She asked me not to say anything at about speaking with “The Press” and I agreed. Time passed, we chatted some more, and about two weeks ago Kristen asked me for an update and I told her I just received my newest construction cost quote and it was more that I had planned. I told her honestly that my budget was off due to my naiveté and the union cost of construction. I also explained that my original design was WAY too expensive and that in order to get the construction price to within an acceptable range we (myself, my architect, the general contractor) decided to eliminate the funky ceiling and walls as well as a prep kitchen downstairs. Things would be tight during prep time, but my sushi chef said we would still have enough room upstairs to do our food prep. Anyway the bid came back after the re-design still really high. At this point I feel I have to consider walking away from this project and taking a small loss now and save some money, compared to getting the doors open and possibly loosing a lot more later. The article Kristen wrote is pretty accurate…..although the original construction delay had nothing to do with me switching from a non-union to a union crew - the delay was due to a decision my landlords made regarding which union crew they were going to use for their vanilla shell build out. Paul

Yup! The awning will some down when the construction crew actually demolishes the entrance so that they can install the new facade. The vanilla shell work is still really just beginning though. My costs came back a bit higher than expected and now "we" are considering redesigns with the aim of reducing the overall costs, as well as raising more $$$. Why is this taking so long? Well I have been told that the reason why this is taking so long is that the Philly Unions are so busy now that they have too much work, as well as their usual end of year slow down due to the weather / vacations.

This is the 2nd year of the show up here (now an hour). I watch it occasionally... and I don't get the sense that the restaurant owner actually gets any say in the design. It seems more like a "we'll show you what you should do with your restaurant because we know we're right" situation. ← Thats quite a leap of faith for the owner!

I tuned into the Food Network's new show “Restaurant Makeover.” The show was hilarious! I think the show has some interesting potential. A designer and chef came into a six year old greasy spoon operation and told the owner that they will match the amount that the restaurant owner could put up (the owner put up $14,000 herself), and they would re-designed the space and help the kitchen staff improve the menu / operations. On this 30 minute episode the kitchen staff was shown as not caring at all what the chef was trying to show them and the owner wasn’t comfortable with the new design. At the end, the screen flashed an update: after the Food Network Team had departed the owner sold some of the furniture, and repainted the colorful space black. Why didn't the owner participate in the redesign process? It seemed like a wasted opportunity for the restaurant owner.

I am happy that the bridal salon seems to be doing well around the corner and I wish them success at their new location. My Update on where things stand: So I finally successfully communicated with the construction manager last week. Although he did not have a final construction price for me (I am still on pins and needles waiting for this number – which could ultimately alter the current planned design finishes) he did give me an estimate as to when I could open my doors for business. He said: “Philly is not like NYC, the unions are tougher, we are still doing extra demolition, we are still waiting on quotations, things really slow down at the end of the year, blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada, you should be able to open by late-January.” After my initial shock, I found the nearest rock to crawl under, and tried to not freak-out too much over the newest estimate for our opening date. I then reluctantly communicated this conversation to my family. I was embarrassed that my estimation was so far off but everybody was understanding. I know that the delay is not my fault but I felt like a sucker for believing/hoping I could open 1st in September, then October, then November. Anyway, construction on the vanilla shell is progressing, but I think that the construction company has other more priority jobs. On a positive note, I received my liquor license last week! Paul

Kura has an interesting system. They have really been the leaders in including technology in their operation. I will have to discuss the article with my Japanese Sushi Chef so that we can work out our system for food cost waste reduction. Paul

are you asking about the US or Japan? ← When I lived in Osaka, I saw many traditional sushi places that were packed late-night, but no kaitenzushi. Here the the US, I have spoken w/people who feel that sushi is not a late-night food. I guess I am asking about both places, and what makes sushi a late-night food in Japan?

What City? Within the past couple of years? Paul

I agree about a Philadelphia Liquor License being transferable anywhere within Philadelphia, but each license price can be different I think. Each license price can be different because there are no new licenses that are being issued by the State and there is only a secondary market for licenses, which is basically monopolized by 2 or 3 Liquor Lawyers, and each license is sold at the seller's discretion / buyer’s agreement. Paul

Welllllll....for better or worse, construction has begun on my kaitenzushi!!!! I am working on throwing together a "time management system" of my own which is less costly that Kura's system. Do most of the kaitenzushi in Japan have these systems? I don't think so. For the places that don't have the system (US$30,000 - US$40,000) how do they ensure freshness? I worked at a place in NYC and they said that they kept track of each plate visually but in reality that method is unreliable as it is impossible to remember every plate. Separately, do you feel sushi is a late night food? Have you ever seen a kaitenzushi open late at night for business? Paul

Construction Well, construction has begun!!!!! I don't have a firm schedule yet as the 1st push is to finish the demo and build out the vanilla shell (HVAC install, sprinklers, electric upgrade, fix the floor...) which my landlord is responsible for. As my architect says this is the most frustrating time....working with the unions, unexpected problems, inspections, but so far everybody and everything has been smooth, apart from the massive construction delay. I guess everybody is nice until there is a problem. For me the worst is not knowing when the finish date will be. Paul

Actually, kaitenzushi, which translates to "Conveyor Belt Sushi" was first started in downtown Osaka Japan in 1958 by Yoshiaki Shiraishi. He got the idea for conveyor belt sushi when he went on a plant tour in a beer factory and saw the beer bottles on a moving conveyor belt. Today there are approximately 5,000 conveyor belt sushi restaurants in Japan where it is considered its own unique market segment. Conveyor belt sushi has spread throughout Asia and Europe. Here in the USA there are only about three or four dozen restaurants, mainly on the west coast. Paul

We plan to have table-service for the 2-tops in the same manner as a traditional restaurant. There will also be a small area where someone can go over to the conveyor belt and grab some sushi plates themselves if they wanted some more immediate satisfaction. Drink orders all must go through an ordering process. Paul

The 3 perspectives posted are all from the same design; they are just different viewpoints within the space. The plan is to have 3 sections of seating. Section #1 is the individual fixed seating by the conveyor belt. Section #2 is the booth seating (each booth is the 6-person size). Section #3 consists of the 2-tops that are on the opposite wall away from the conveyor belt. Really, we wanted to only have the seating by the conveyor belt (sections #1 & #2), but since we have the room, the 2-top seating against the wall wase added to our plan. Conveyor belt sushi, when you just look at the fixed individual seating area, has a tough time with large groups (4 persons and above) as the persons on each end are far away and conversation is tough. For this reason we thought it was important to have the 6-person booths. Paul

Latest Perspectives: Perspective A: Entering the restaurant. The fixed seats and counter/conveyor belt/bar are on the left and on the right are some 2-tops. Perspective B: Looking towards the entrance. The conveyor belt is on the right as well as the bar area and fixed seats by the conveyor belt. There are some 2-tops on the left. Perspective C: Looking towards the back of the restaurant. The conveyor belt is on the left and perpendicular to the belt are some booths. There are some 2-tops on the right. Paul

Also I think there are 1-2 other kaitenzushi restaurants in the Chicago area: 1. Jurin Japanese Restaurant: 588 Randel Rd, South Elgin, 847-488-1290 2. Sushi Doraku (Benihana) - I think they had kaitenzushi but changed over to a traditional restaurant 3. Sushi World?? Paul

Not so expensive???? Dinner for 2 w/tip was $150. I thought that was more on the expensive side than not expensive. Our meal was pretty basic and we had about a $30 liquor bill. The best dish was their "shishito" which is a Japanese pepper which they steamed and salted like edamame. Where are the Miami "traditional sushi places?" The concierge at the hotel told us this was traditional sushi, right after he recommended Sushi Samba which is also not so traditional. Shoji Sushi was a good meal, but not at that price level. Paul

I signed my lease back at the end of February. The space was occupied by the previous tenant until June, and last week I successfully received my building permit. The place has been gutted and now I am scrambling around for a new construction crew. Regarding the estimate as to when the vanilla shell build out will be complete…let me break out my crystal ball and see what the answer is.....woops.....my crystal ball seems to be cracked now so I won't be able to answer. Next week I have a construction meeting planned and I hope to have a firm idea. I have heard that once the construction crew gets moving a 3 month build- out time is normal. I am a little bummed about this delay as I know that Sept/Oct is a way better time period to open a restaurant that the Oct/Nov time frame…but as a mom & pop operation I can not afford to wait to open for a “great month” and I will open asap. Paul

Japanese "Yakiniku" = Korean BBQ (the difference I think is only some of the seasonings) Philly has some decent Korean BBQ right?

------------- The immediate followup question: will you be getting a break in rent from the landlord as a result of the delay? ------------- Fortunately, my rent does not start until 4 months after my “vanilla shell” construction is complete. Of course I would rather open for business and pay rent then be in this “waiting in limbo” state which gets expensive with little incoming monies. One thing that all the "How-to: Starting a Restaurant" books never really get into is all the waiting that occurs. (true there are plenty-o-things to do, but waiting seems to be a big line item)

Delays: I found out today that there has been a parting of ways between my building owner and the construction crew that was supposed to work on the top floors as well as my restaurant space. Translation #1: I am now scrambling around to find another construction crew. Translation #2: Due to the delay of finding another crew, a further delay will occur for my soft opening. Paul

Health Department Today with my architect I dropped off my plans to the Health Department. The inspector spent about 30 minutes with us as we introduced and walked him through our plans. He was incredibly helpful and pointed out many things that would be required for cpmpletion of their plan review. For example a drain at a specific location, or walk-in box indirect drains, HACCP Plans, a proposed menu, Lighting plans... I was always very uneasy about "a visit to the Health Department," but they really are taking a consultant/advisory role in this early stage. They will need about 10 days until they look at the plans, then they will make a list of things we have forgotten that are required (and send me an invoice for their services). Turnaround time should be under 30 days. Paul

- re:What are your likes and dislikes at kaitenzushi? Back on January 17th 2005, I asked about likes and dislikes at sushi restaurants on “alt.food.sushi”. I have compiled a summary list below. Note #1: these are for traditional sushi restaurants, not kaitenzushi restaurants Note#2: these are for restaurants in America only therefore tipping and communication are not real issues in Japan like in America Note#3: only the first six are from me. Compiled from alt.food.sushi • Having to ask for low-sodium soy sauce • When the server does not know the brand name of the house "hot sake" • Ordering any sashimi and not having the shiso leaf come w/the order (instead maybe being given some regular lettuce. lettuce no matter what kind, is not something that should be served with sashimi. Ever. Calls for punishment.) • Not being given a spoon for agedashi tofu • Ordering a roll and it automatically comes in the "inside-out roll" style. Why, and since when, has inside-out roll style replaced the more traditional seaweed-on-the-outside style? • Female workers dressed in kimonos. Isn't that cruel and unusual punishment to force someone to work in that restrictive clothing in a U.S. restaurant environment? I rarely see a Chinese or Thai restaurant where the workers are still dressing in their native dress in order to "add flavor to the eating experience." Just serving delicious food in a nice environment should be enough. Kimonos should be left in the closet. • Ordering an assortment and the server not being able to tell me what's what. • Server not speaking English adequately to communicate well. • Server not knowing specials. • Specials board still listing things that are sold out. • Lack of a specials board or any seasonal items. • Waiters who don't know what the cold premium sake choices are. • If you are sitting at the bar, the chef should be able to tell you everything you need to know. Otherwise, yes.. server should know these things. • I have a hard time communicating with the sushi chefs at the bar when not at my usual haunts. • Asking what is fresh today and being told everything. • I do NOT appreciate hip joints and places with attitude. I do NOT like places where the staff are nattily dressed with thin ties and where they play hip music. If they have to do music, they should play traditional Japanese. Koto, shakuhachi. I prefer traditional decor, but PLEASE no ultra modern decor with or without Japanese anime robots. • It would be nice if the specials board actually listed specials, instead of the same items all year round. • Not being given a spoon for agedashi tofu…I would be more annoyed at being given a metal spoon instead of a traditional Renge (a white ceramic oval spoon of Chinese origin). • Servers who fail to mention from the start which items they are out of, rather than waiting for me to order 10 things before they tell me which 5 things they are out of. Calls for death. • when I order sashimi, nigiri, and maki... and the sushi comes first. • When "spicy sauce" is just that.. straight hot sauce. I prefer spicy mayo. • When the menu describes the sushi deluxe as (for example) "12 nigiris and a California roll" without describing what the 12 nigiris are. (Gee, if I had known I was going to get 4 each of whitefish, tuna, and salmon, I would’ve ordered a la carte instead). • Lack of natto maki (I like it, but not many places serve it). • Getting charged for green tea. • having specials listed in Japanese, but not in English (presumably because they are things they think that Westerners won't eat.) • I won't order combinations with Ca. rolls, unless they are willing to substitute. Some places do. Boo hiss to those that don't. • I've even been charged for green tea TEABAGS! Getting charged for the hot towels. Not getting hot towels at all. • A waiter should never tell a customer who orders something "No, you can't have that." • poor sanitation • Funny how rarely you bump into garlic at a Japanese place. Quite rare indeed. It's always a big shock. I guess don't like it there, as it tends to flavor everything after I eat it. For the same reason I figured out why they don't have more robust beers, ales and such, at Japanese restaurants. • Tipping. I've gone into places, and decided to get some takeout. You would not believe the look of disdain that I've seen on a server's face because I haven’t dropped a $10 bill into the tip jar. It's one thing to expect a tip if a person stays at the sushi bar, and eats there. It's quite another to get one just for walking in the place. • I also cannot understand and am greatly offended by people who use their cell phones at the sushi bar. Can you add anything specific to kaitenzushi? Paul

After you promise your 1st male born child, figure about $70,000. How much was your liscense in the Northeast? Paul