3 days ago
Gaia Series 89: Upheaval! Eating Out Survival
Sukesan Udon opens in Tokyo as its parent company Skylark targets 200 outlets nationwide to challenge Japan's top noodle chains.
A cold February morning in Tokyo's Sumida Ward sees over 170 eager customers lining up outside the newly opened Ryogoku branch of Sukesan Udon. Originating from Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, this marks the brand's first foray into Japan's capital, signalling the start of an ambitious nationwide expansion led by Skylark Holdings, one of the country's largest restaurant operators.
At the heart of the excitement is the eatery's most popular item: Beef and Burdock Tempura Udon, priced at a modest 790 yen (S$7.10). The noodles are firm yet chewy, the hallmark of true udon, and the broth, painstakingly prepared with mackerel, kelp and other ingredients, offers a depth of flavour with a hint of sweetness. One customer commented, 'The noodles are wonderfully chewy, and the beef is sweet and delicious.'
Beyond udon, Sukesan boasts an extensive menu of over 100 items, including a sweet and spicy beef curry and a variety of slow-simmered oden dishes. Botamochi rice cakes are another staple, with over 5.4 million sold annually. A meal set including these treats is priced at 1,030 yen maintaining the brand's promise of affordability.
Founded in 1976 by Mr Shoji Onishi, Sukesan Udon has become a beloved fixture in Kyushu with about 80 outlets, many of which operate 24 hours to serve both night workers and families. When asked how often they visit, one regular replied, 'Every day? I always come here for lunch,' a testament to Sukesan's status as a beloved local staple. With Mr Onishi stepping down and no clear successor in place, management was eventually handed over to an investment fund before Skylark Holdings acquired the brand.
Mr Makoto Tani, Skylark's chairman for the past 17 years, sees great potential in Sukesan. 'I'm convinced that Sukesan Udon's taste will be loved by people all across Japan,' he said. 'I've been eating there for 35 years and have no doubt about it.'
With over 3,100 restaurants nationwide and brands like Gusto and Bamiyan under its wing, Skylark has a formidable presence. However, the company has faced growing pressure from inflation and rising operational costs. Mr Tani explained, 'There's now a gap in the market. And that's where Sukesan Udon clearly fits in.'
The udon industry is no stranger to competition, with giants like Marugame Seimen and Hanamaru Udon operating 853 and 418 outlets respectively. Against this backdrop, Skylark plans to open 200 Sukesan branches within five years.
The integration of Sukesan into Skylark's operational model began with a rigorous process of taste replication. At Skylark's central kitchen in Kitakyushu, Sukesan's curry, one of its original dishes, was meticulously reproduced using different equipment and tested across various simmering durations. One executive noted, 'The texture is still slightly off, I think.' Mr Haruyoshi Sakita, formerly Skylark's CEO and now head of Sukesan, delivered a firm assessment. 'Sorry, but I can't give this a passing mark,' he said.
Mr Sakita, who has overseen more than 100 store conversions, brings both rigour and a sense of stewardship to the brand. 'I have absolutely no intention of forcing a Skylark style upon it,' he said. 'What I want to do is bring out the best of both sides and turn one plus one into three or even five.'
In January, he chaired a boardroom discussion on converting existing Gusto outlets into Sukesan locations to reduce internal brand competition. 'We aim to boost total regional sales,' he said.
One of the first test conversions took place in Misato, Saitama Prefecture, where Mr Sakita personally oversaw every design detail, from oden aroma placement to cost-efficient renovation. 'When customers come to this new restaurant, I want them to immediately think, 'Oh, this is Sukesan,'' he explained, underlining the balance between brand recognition and budget-conscious transformation.
Supporting these efforts is Mr Makoto Ezaki, a Skylark veteran tasked with training manual development. Mr Ezaki has produced over 2,000 instructional videos to help part-time staff master everything from noodle handling to frying burdock tempura. 'I thought this was crucial, so I insisted on trying it myself. It's more complex than I expected,' he admitted during a hands-on session in the kitchen.
The videos proved invaluable during the Ryogoku store launch. A part-time staff member said, 'First, I watched the video, then tried it myself. And because I could watch it again afterwards, it felt much easier to grasp.' The opening was a success, with Mr Sakita greeting families who filled the space, Sukesan's main target demographic. 'Protecting both flavour and price, the Skylark way, they took their first major step forward,' the narrator said.
Sukesan's journey into Tokyo is not merely an expansion. It is a calculated strategy in preserving culinary heritage while leveraging modern scalability. 'From now on, it's about working together to bring Sukesan to people all across Japan,' Mr Sakita said. 'Of course, there'll be challenges, but personally, I'm excited.'
