Lazrowp

Kaitenzushi is still in NYC, although the place you went to in the 80s closed. In preparation for my venture, I worked at a kaitenzushi place located at 26th & 3rd ave. called East which had a pretty good crowd of customers. I felt like they could have done better with better advertising/marketing though. They never really advertised to non-Japanese people. Paul

For transparency, I want you to know that I also started a thread in the eG Forums > Restaurants, Cuisine, and Travel > United States > Pennsylvania section called "Starting a Restaurant in Philly" where I try to document the crazy journey of opening a restaurant. (I am hoping to open my doors in October 2005.) http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=68351 Paul

Hi! I lived in Osaka from 1989 - 1995. During this time I 1st began to eat sushi and of course it was the 1st time I tried kaitenzushi = conveyor belt sushi (C.B.S.). When I returned to the States sushi had become so popular with new sushi restaurants popping up all over the place, but not so many C.B.S. restaurants. My dream is to open a C.B.S. restaurant on the East Coast of America in Philadelphia. It is tough to get a serious feel for C.B.S scene while I am here in the States, so I would like to start this thread so that I can better understand what is going on currently in Japan. I would like to discuss: - What are your likes and dislikes at kaitenzushi? - What are your favorite kaitenzushi to go to and why (pictures are a plus)? - What makes some kaitenzushi popular while some are not so great? - Do you see kaitenzushi as just a gimmick? Ookini! Paul

My beautiful wife’s grandmother on her father’s side passed on recently and her name was Adeline and people called her Addy. She was a firecracker in her 90’s who was super kind, warm, and loving yet tough. I used the name out of respect. Paul

Below is an early rendering of the outside of the space. I kind of like the awning set-up.

Regarding Post #86 -------------------------------------------------- The pictures on the top Looking East from 11th & Walnut Street in Philly My space is in the middle of the block. This picture is looking North-East. You can see the Irish Pub, then a woman's clothing store, then a Chinese restaurant w/a neon sign, then my space with the red awning, and further on down is Pompeii with the black awning, and in the background you can see Thomas Jefferson Hospital and University. -------------------------------------------------- The bottom picture This is the "BEFORE" shot of the empty space The space was occupied by Danielle's Bridal Salon for many years. They are moving about 2 blocks away to a location with a lesser rent. We plan to put in a new glass facade. This is how the space looks from the outside as of June, 2005. -------------------------------------------------- The space is pretty much cleaned and ready for construction. (I will try to learn how to post pictures soon) Paul

Uuuuhhh......I still haven't figured out how to put up an image in these post boxes. I did get so far as to post two (2) pictures in the public gallery though. Pic#1: This is the "Before" shot of the empty space Pic#2: Looking East from 11th & Walnut Street in Philly Paul

OK!!! My architect submitted our building plans to the Philly Building Inspectors and we should hear back something next week (we accelerated the plans). Its nice to have some solid trackable movement! We also should be able to have a plan review with the Health Department next week! Paul

Stopped by the other day for a small snack. I only had a small cup of Matzo ball soup and a potato latke. I didn’t love their matzo ball as I prefer the lighter fluffier kind, but it was good. I loved their potato latke though! It was much thicker than I am used to and had a decent amount of grease which always makes the potato latkes better. They also had really good ice coffee. I can’t wait to go back! Very affordable prices with a nice atmosphere. Paul

Schedule: Delay #1: Two weeks ago I had a fair degree of confidence that I could open during September. Now that has changed and it’s more like: Chance of Opening September: 15% October: 60% November: 25% Optimistically I still am hoping for a September opening. At this point the main factor will be the construction crew and their schedule. I am at their mercy. Fortunately I am using a union crew as my location is in Center City, which is tough for the unions to overlook. All I have heard is how people in the unions will key your car, break your windows, and basically make your life tough as a way to protest if you do not use a union crew. I am not thrilled with paying more for the union work, but with the higher costs comes a level of comfort that the work will be done correct. Paul

Yannii, environmental business is good business and though there have been many successful enterprises over the last century, this success has often been void of environmental impact considerations. Of course we longer live in that world and we no longer just qualify success in financial terms. Recently we have all become much more aware of the consequences our energy consumptive lifestyles and truly, to be green, HAS to be good business. In other words it is no longer a business "style" - to be environmental but it is the calling of our times. Sushi Nation in fact, is extremely concerned about its impact on the environment - locally, and globally, and I the owner am also concerned beyond the scope of my own business, about many of the issues facing the planet nowadays. Let me speak to the issues of my restaurant and the environmental implications of how I want to run this business. First of all I can say that it is my intention to move towards a green model of doing business and it is a direction I intend to move towards more and more, as I mature into the process of running the operation. Actually though, environment, is in fact, not large enough to speak to what I'm interested in achieving. I think the business term "stakeholder model" (contrast shareholder) is where I would like to take my company and although not a brand new idea, it is an idea whose time has come: The stakeholder model of business has a broader criteria for "success" than just the bottom line. The stakeholders are: The owner of the business, the business's employees - at all levels; the community and neighborhood in which the business functions, the financial viability of the business, the environment in terms of waste produced, materials used, recycling etc; the sustainability of the ocean ecology which supplies the fish, the fish themselves, health and disease issues in the restaurant and in the oceans and in the fish. In short the stake-holder model of business takes into account a wide and more long-term set of criteria which create the sort of businesses which are not simply hit-and-run financial ventures, but are more holistic, long-term and win-win. I think this "stakeholder" model is an appropriate response to the ecological, economic and social upheaval we find ourselves in during this time of global markets, toxicity and illness and exponentially increasing population. I want my business to offer excellent quality food and speak to the health issues and emerging data which point us towards certain eating habits. More specifically, we are looking into using recycled materials at every level from take out containers to napkins INSIDE the restaurant, we are looking to see how we might be able to network with other businesses and turn our waste - a problem - into a potential product - a solution - for someone else. We may also look into finding a way to supply appropriate left over food stuffs to the homeless or to the cities needy populations. We are looking to use cleaners who use non-toxic products in their cleaning procedures for staff uniforms, we are going to actively participate in the ongoing national debate and awareness surrounding issues of toxic substances in fish products and we will do all we can to find suppliers who participate in more sustainable fishing practices. There are many, many issues to explore further both before opening, and after we get going and as the business matures. As my knowledge of the issues and the solutions increases, I hope to be at the vanguard of the movement towards long-term environmental stewardship, as well perhaps, as on the vanguard of what is an emerging new business model. In fact there are some really exciting ideas which I might explore in the future - like using solar power for at least some of the businesses energy needs, or buying green power from the local utility company. I consult with a good buddy of mine in California who has been active in environmental issues and who is well-read on the subject and has recommended a couple of books to me by some of the business worlds most pioneering entrepreneurs: Paul Hawken, founder of the natural foods store Erewhon, and now owner of the garden tool manufacturer "Smith and Hawken" - and Anita Roddick founder of the Body Shop. Below are some links we look at: http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/haccp-2a.html http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/ http://www.handwashingforlife.com/us/english/index.htm http://www.msc.org/ http://www.nfi.org/ http://www.phila.gov/health/units/ehs/html/ofp_programs.html Paul (I loved the movie "Life & Debt")

Astral Plan is my go to place for when I have relatives come into Philly. The place is so charming and eclectic! I have been there 2x within the past several months and each time I had a delicious meal. Great cocktails too. Paul

I went to Fuji months ago for a special dinner. My wife was upset that they didn't have liquor, but we both enjoyed the food. (we had just moved down from NYC so we are not yet used to the BYO culture). We started with agedashi tofu, and some tamago and hamachi....all were excellent. The tamago was nice and fluffy and not too sweet. It is nice to see a restaurant that does not load up the sushi with tons of rice. The proportion of rice to fish was such that we both regretted not ordering more sushi. Instead as a main course we had the chirashi with was great. For the two of us our meal was $60 w/out a tip. Before we went I had high expectations which were met. The decor was nothing special, and the servers were dressed up in kimonos which didn't add anything to the flavor of our experience. The staff was very genuine. My only disappointment was that they did not have any squid....my favorite roll to order is "ika-shiso" (squid roll with shiso leaf). I would recommend Fuji to anyone! Paul

Paul, welcome to government bureaucracy! Have you considered hiring a consultant, or a project manager? Namely, someone who is very familiar with the ins & outs of each & every city/county/state govt. dept. needed to get the permits for your restaurant. Someone who knows which office to go to, which person to talk to, and the exact forms that need to be signed at the right time? Perhaps it may be worth your while to hire such a person so you can focus on ... your restaurant. Half the fun of government bureaucracy is figuring out what the rules are, ehh?? ← My project managers: my architect, my landlord, my construction team (which is a union crew), my hood people, my walk-in box company, and my wife. Luckily I am on the tail end of this entire process and at this point I have a clear idea of what remains and the steps necessary. If money were no object: I would still hire a kitchen consultant and a person who could design an incredible HACCP package and hold my hand going to the Health Department (my architect seems to be confident though going to the Heath Department). Paul

I attended a fascinating seminar yesterday sponsored by the "HRP" (Hospitality Resource Panel). The 3 hour panel discussion had senior people from the I.R.S., P.L.C.B., P.A. State Trooper Liquor Division, Philly City Planning Commission, Philly Depart. of L&I, S.B.A., M.B.A.T.(Phila. Mayor’s Business Action Team), Philly Health Department, the Philly Police Department, Head of the Philly Tavern & Bar Association, local area representatives, architects, and a prominent consultant. Each group gave a 5-10 minute presentation and the topic was: "Providing the roadmap to a successful and profitable dining or entertainment business in Philadelphia." I was the only person in the room trying to start up a restaurant so they used me as a sounding board. Jabs like, “Did we scare you off yet” were prevalent. It was great to see all the organizations acknowledge that the whole process was not easy. For me, the highlight was when I had a 15-20 minute one-on-one conversation with Mr. George Zameska, the chief of Philly's Department of Health (I plan to submit my plan review to the Philly Health Department within the next 14 days and the health department has always been a fear of mine as that is an area of such importance and I can’t afford a food consultant to hold my hand through this process – unlike zoning where you are required to hire a lawyer who holds your hand). I told him honestly I hadn't picked out the exact make and model of the equipment and he was like “Don’t worry about it. We expect you to go window shopping, but you should submit with that aspect noted but submit now so that we can review your plans with the aim of helping your design pass our inspections.” I also was able to speak one-on-one with the IRS representative and the PA State Trooper. Everyone was so helpful and it was obvious that these organizations want to help. That said, without this chance to meet these people, going to these organizations without knowing the entire process was intimidating. I mean, the wait time alone was crazy. For example going to L&I to pay money for a business license tool over 2 hours. I learned that their department has been cut almost 50% over the past 10 year, while the activity has increased which means to me that the blame lies in the lack of a sufficient budget for these governmental organizations. There is no one source that can give you a simple flowchart of the exact steps you need and the exact order you need take. The conclusion of the seminar was a proposal to come up with a flowchart for parties interested. That flowchart would have helped me tremendously. I mean, I had no idea that it would take a minimum of 6 months AFTER I had a leased signed before I could open. In Philly you need to conservatively figure (3 months for zoning), (1.5 months for a building permit), (1.5 months construction build-out), and then account somewhere for your liquor license time, health department plan & inspections, fire inspection... I suggested that in addition the proposed distribution channels of the flowchart, they include the real estate brokers. The brokers are one of the #1 street sources to distribute this type of flowchart as the brokers are the people that are the first contact point for parties looking to set-up a business in a new city. Paul

tamarahen!!!!!takoyaki kuitai!!!!!!! I used to go to a place where you could make your own right at your own table. It was near Umeda Station and was probably Takonotetsu - Umeda 1-9-20, Maru Building B2F, but I remember the place to be outside the station on the ground level and have some huge giant taco outside the store front. While I always tried to do the takoyaki swirl with the needle-like takoyaki tool, usually some restaurant worker would come over and do the swirl for me. I also loved the negiyaki with ponzu....it is much lighter that a full-on okonomiyaki. Paul

Herb, extended credit from suppliers is a great idea. As a pessimist I have always thought that suppliers would not extend credit to a startup mom & pop-shop like me. What are good terms and what would be OK terms??? Obviously the worst terms are C.O.D. or I guess C.O.A.(prepay). The harsh reality that I have learned about financing is that any SBA backed loan will require me to put up my house ----------------------------- cstuart, woops!! That was a some dyslexia, the restaurant is “Isobune” and is located at 1735 Post St., Japan Center, SFr. I think that the founder of Isobune, Mr. Imanaka actually founded the sushi boat concept in America and owns the patent for water track system. In Japan they do not have the sushi boat style and use regular conveyor belts. The first conveyor belt sushi restaurant was opened 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. I feel there is more utility value with the conveyor belt, less cost, and less maintenance with the conveyor belt compared to the water track system (which I honestly never priced.) But I thought it was too gimmicky, which is why I also did not seriously consider using a small train set to pull plates of sushi like the do somewhere out west. The CBS business model is basically “low price point, low margin, high volume.” I hope to have an average lunch price of $7.50 and average dinner price of $13.00 (not including drinks). ------------------------------- Paul

Spicy tuna, spicy salmon, spicy yellowtail are probably the most popular dishes in the US. Sriracha (www.huyfong.com) is perhaps the most popular hot sauce in Asian restaurants in the US. This company, which has been profiled many times on business tv shows does absolutely no advertising yet it has grow steadily. I use the sauce for soooo much: on eggs, w/a hot dog, as my mapodofu hot sauce..... Paul

I am a shiso freak! I love the stuff and look forward to trying to grow it in my (read: my wife's) container garden. During the time I worked in sushi restaurants in NYC I would constantly point out that the shiso leaf was not just decoration as many newbies believed, as well as suggest shiso to many of my regular customers. My top shiso uses: #1: Insert the leaf between the squid and sushi rice ball (asari shiteiruyo!) #2: Insert the leaf between the salmon and sushi rice ball #3: Insert the leaf between the yellowtail and sushi rice ball #4: Use the leaf as the wrap for many different sashimi slices (squid is my #1) #5: Wrap the leaf around the yakitori during the grilling (as I don't like plum sauce I never dipped) #6: Straight tempura Paul

I am interested too!!!!!!! Did you do any significant financing activity? Paul (the hopefully soon-to-be-restaurateur & guy who started the thread "Starting a Restaurant in Philly") Paul

One of my fondest memories of the 5 years I lived in Osaka was hearing the Tofu Man going around the neighborhood yelling "ttooooooooooofffuuuuuuuuuuuu” and buying tofu freshly made (I think.) He had a big attachment sitting on his bike and would store the tofu in the box-like attachment. Paul

Favorites in order: 1. Hiyayako (love the katuso / ginger on top) 2. Agedashi tofu (amzing when you capture just the right amount a warm/hot dashi on the spoon coupled with the tofu) 3. Mapodofu (the firm trype is the way to go for me....I stated making this 2-3 x/month for a while) I also sometimes simply throw tofu in the fry pay with some oil and later add some soy sauce....maybe too simple but it tastes good....! I use the firm type for this also. Paul

Looks like Capogiro has some competition now as a new gelato place just opened yesterday at 5th & Chestnut. I peeked in but was too early to get a sample. (still a DQ fan) Paul

Tim, Stick with Harry Ochs!!! Paul

------------------------------------ Kristen, in Japan there are approximately 5,000 C.B.S., while here in the States we have between 2 & 3 dozen. On the East Coast there are about ½ dozen as the highest concentration is on the West Coast. ------------------------------------ I have not responded to the “Name” issue or the “look and feel” discussion yet as I want to have things more set before I throw it out there for the tough EGullet crowd. I will commit to saying that I don’t dislike like the name Sushi Revolution. By the end of this week I hope to post something on these topics. ------------------------------------ Regarding financing Bond Girl, for me right now it is all FFR. I do intend to apply for a SBA loan & line of credit as well as peruse some more local Philadelphia financing programs. My financing efforts are hopefully going to be directed at, as Glenn says in post #58, "mindless expenses I never ever would have thought of in a gazillion years." Am I concerned about financing? Of course I am!!!! I am fortunate that my land lords are willing to do a vanilla shell build-out for me as well as help me out with the coveted liquor license. ------------------------------------ Russell, I have looked at CBS operations in the US. In fact I worked for a year at what I consider to be the premier CBS operation on the East Coast in NYC (East @ 26th & 3rd Ave.) They have 2 CBS places and are building their 3rd now. On the left Coast I have established a nice dialogue with the owners of Blue C Sushi in Seattle. If you live in LA, check out the newest CBS that just opened up on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. In O.C. they also have 2 CBS and soon to have 1 more. Below is my incomplete list of CBS in America: New York: East (26th & 3rd Ave. in NYC); Genki (46th & 5th Ave in Manhattan) New York: Sushi King (in Queens) New Jersey: East (in Teaneck) Pennsylvania: POD (in Philly, not really “CBS” but they do have a conveyor belt) Maryland: Matsuba (in Bethesda) North Carolina: Kurama Sushi and Noodle (in Raleigh) California: Frying Fish (in Los Angeles); A’ Float Sushi (in Pasadena) (**Sushi Boat) California: Kura Sushi (Orange County); Kaisen Sushi Bar (Orange County) California: Isonube (in San Francisco) (**Sushi Boat) Washington Blue C Sushi (in Seattle) Washington Azuma Sushi (in Seattle) Oregon: Sushi Land = Marinpolis (in Seattle & Portland); Sushi Town (in Hillsboro) Oregon: Umenoki Kaiten Sushi (Portland 503-255-9922); Star Sushi 503-626-6610 Texas Koi Kawa (in San Antonio) (w/Teppanyaki; 35p) Illinois: Sushi World (near Chicago; 60p); Jurin Japanese Rest. (near Chicago; 35p) Hawaii: Sushi Go (2 locations); Genki Sushi Colorado: California Kaiten Sushi (in Denver) ------------------------------------ Paul