Making sushi fun

East Japanese Restaurant at 366 3rd Ave in Manhattan makes eating sushi fun.  A conveyor belt brings plates of sushi past you, and you can grab whatever you like.  The color of the plates indicate the prices, which range from $1.50 to $6.50 per plate.  Observations:

+ The business model makes the chefs more productive, because they can crank out a whole series of the same product
+ Increases the potential turnover in the restaurant (the number of people served per day per seat) since the model eliminates the wait time to get your order taken and then for your order to be prepared and delivered
+ Makes the wait staff more productive (they still need some wait staff to deliver drink orders or specialty orders off the menu, but those folks can handle more patrons since much of the work is removed)
+ The movement makes it more dynamic than a buffet, and more fun
+ Inspires impulse decisions.  Grab the plate now, or you'll have to wait for a couple minutes until it winds its way all around the restaurant again
+ Inspires patrons to try dishes they might not order off the menu
+ Encourages patrons to eat more than they might otherwise.  Who isn't still a little hungry after eating sushi?  Here, the barriers to eating one more dish are reduced

How could elements of the sushi conveyor built be applied to your business?


Making sushi fun from Will Bachman on Vimeo.

From Innovation Bootcamp

From Innovation Bootcamp