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Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
Singaporean F&B group Omote aims to serve more fresh takes on Japanese fare
[SINGAPORE] Ten years ago, when the mainstream sushi restaurant scene was dominated by major chains such as Sushi Tei and Sakae Sushi, a casual 12-seater sushi bar opened quietly in Thomson Plaza. Since then, the Omote sushi brand, an udon bar named Umai, and a salad kiosk called Six Hands have spawned under the Omote Asia Group (OAG) banner. The group has two new Japanese fusion brand concepts in the works, along with regionalisation in the pipeline. Yet, the business' founders were initially cautious about investing too much, said Tricia Tan, brand manager of OAG and part of the founding team. Singapore's food and beverage (F&B) scene seemed to be dominated by either 'giants' or 'hawkers', with few successful independent players at the time, she recalled. In November 2015, Tan and her business partner started out with a restaurant called Sushiro – no relation to the Japanese sushi chain of the same name. 'We wanted to grow slow and steady,' she said. The eatery was run by a team of just three, the two founders included. 'We never started out the business saying: 'We want to achieve 10 stores in 20 years.'' A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am SGSME Get updates on Singapore's SME community, along with profiles, news and tips. Sign Up Sign Up But within months, things took off. In February 2016, a positive review on dining platform Burpple led to a spike in business. Later that same month, food blogger Daniel Food Diary visited. 'After that… everybody started coming,' she said. As more and more people flocked to Sushiro, the team struggled to contain the crowd. 'Opposite (the restaurant) was this dumpling shop. The lady (who owned it) made me buy all the dumplings because she said the queue was blocking her shop,' Tan recalled. 'So we bought a hundred dumplings.' Sushiro took over the unit next door, then moved to a larger one. But queues continued to grow, raising tensions with neighbours and worries that customers would no longer feel that the food was 'worth it'. So when a bigger space within the mall opened up in 2019, Sushiro moved there and rebranded as Omote. Derived from both 'omotenashi' – the Japanese concept of wholehearted hospitality – and the trendy Tokyo neighbourhood of Omotesando, the name captured the idea of providing Japanese hospitality in a 'very fun and chic way', said Tan. Expanding with a difference In 2022, Omote opened a second branch at Raffles City Shopping Centre and designed its first franchise outlet in Novena. Each outlet is slightly different, to add value to the brand, said Tan. The smaller Raffles City branch attracts office workers who do not linger over a meal. It therefore has a Japanese-Korean concept with small bites and convenience foods, such as gimbap and Korean fried chicken. Meanwhile, the medical hub of Novena tends to have groups, so that outlet offers more dishes meant to be shared. As Omote's 10th anniversary approached, OAG wanted to do something different. It studied sales trends, realised that udon was a top-performing dish, and opened 50-seater udon bar Umai in 2024. Umai puts a twist on the salaryman staple with offerings such as miso carbonara and chilli pan mee. Given its location in newly opened Guoco Midtown, the team did not expect large crowds but was again surprised. Thanks to a viral post from an influencer tasting event, guests waited hours for a table when the restaurant opened. Staff were leaving work at 11 pm every night and returning at 7 am, Tan recalled. 'The capacity was not built for that sale number.' Noting the outlet's four-year lease, she added: 'We said: 'We're here for four years. Please come back. But let the hype pass.'' The group is looking for a sustainable business, not short-term gains, she said. Business at Umai has since 'hit an equilibrium' that OAG is happy with. ' We want our group to stay relevant for as long as possible, whether that is in our own hands or in the hands of even more capable people. ' — Tricia Tan, Omote Asia Group brand manager Later that year, OAG launched its next brand, Six Hands, referring to the three pairs of hands – that of the farmer, the shop staff and the customer – that come together for a bowl of salad. The idea was for an affordable, easy-to-operate quick-service concept. Noting that salads are viewed as 'joyless healthy eating' in Asia but are a daily staple in Australia and the US, the team wanted to change perspectives. Six Hands' salads bring together Australian vegetables and Japanese toppings such as tonkatsu, as well as Japanese dressings. There are now two outlets at Millenia Walk and Far East Square, and OAG plans to focus on business districts for any additions. Healthy in many ways For the financial year ending August, OAG expects about S$9.6 million in revenue, up from S$9.3 million last year. In the next financial year, it expects to cross S$10 million. This projection includes earnings from the two Omote outlets and franchising fees for the third, as well as contributions from Umai. These brands' net profit margins are 11 to 12 per cent – higher than the industry average – which Tan attributes to their lean operations. Six Hands' financials are reported separately, as OAG plans to eventually sell the business. It has a profit margin of 18 to 20 per cent. OAG manages its cost of goods well, with low wastage, Tan said. The team is small and efficient, and rent eats into only 8 or 9 per cent of sales. 'You don't want to be earning money to pay your landlords, at the end of the day. You want to be profitable in order to give people confidence, for your group to expand and to do more,' she added. Such expansion is on the way, both at home and abroad. By year-end, OAG will launch two new Japanese-inspired concepts and a 'more refined', 'special edition' Omote outlet. For Six Hands, the focus is on opening more takeaway kiosks – which take less time and capital expenditure to set up – as customers prefer grab-and-go orders. The existing outlets are at maximum capacity, with 300 bowls produced at the Millenia Walk branch and 200 bowls at Far East Square location every 90 minutes. As for going beyond Singapore, Omote's recipes are already being used in F&B establishments in Malaysia, and the first Philippines franchise is set to open in September. Some Filipinos have money to spend, but nowhere to go, Tan said. She believes that Omote can bring its value and quality there without lowering prices or diluting the brand. Meanwhile, there are opportunities to bring Six Hands to Hong Kong. With a focus on assembling ingredients, the brand is relatively easy to operate and fits the fast-paced market, said Tan. This may begin with at least one owned outlet, before moving towards a franchising or licensing model. OAG's end goal is to build Six Hands up enough for it to be acquired or sold. While the group is in no rush to sell Omote or Umai, the Six Hands format was designed to be consistent, easily replicable and scalable, said Tan. 'Most people want to invest in what makes good, simple business,' she said. 'We want our group to stay relevant for as long as possible, whether that is in our own hands or in the hands of even more capable people.'
Medscape
13-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Weight-Loss Drugs Show Promise but Remain Hard to Access
MANCHESTER, England — While evidence mounts to support the widespread use of both semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) in people with heart failure who need to lose weight, experts at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Annual Conference 2025 warned that access to these drugs remains limited in both the UK and the US. Christopher Kramer, president of the American College of Cardiology and chief of the Cardiovascular Division at the University of Virginia Health, Charlottesville, Virginia, said that US insurers seemed to be 'working hard to try to limit the use of these drugs to hold down costs.' Christopher Kramer He noted that insurance companies often require patients to have specific cardiovascular conditions, such as proof of disease via cardiac MRI, before approving tirzepatide, which is branded as Zepbound in the US. Tricia Tan, a consultant in diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic medicine at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, England, said similar barriers exist in the UK. Tricia Tan 'We are struggling to be able to use these drugs in the NHS,' she said. Although the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended them for some people with a BMI over 35, NHS England has imposed additional restrictions. High Demand, Limited Supply NHS England said restrictions are needed due to high demand from people with weight-related conditions beyond heart disease. NICE recommends the drugs only after dietary, exercise, and behavioural therapies have been started and stresses that these lifestyle changes should continue during treatment. Diet and lifestyle remain central in the fight to curb rising obesity rates and are associated with 'around a 3%-8% weight loss,' Tan said, but this is 'often difficult to sustain,' with fluctuations in weight. By contrast, she noted, semaglutide and tirzepatide offer benefits beyond weight loss, including potential cardiovascular effects. Most cardiovascular data so far relate to semaglutide. Similar evidence for tirzepatide is still emerging. Evidence Builds for Use in Heart Failure Several speakers at the conference said the evidence from studies in patients with heart failure — such as the STEP 1 trial with semaglutide and the SUMMIT trial with tirzepatide — is now strong enough to justify their wider use in clinical practice. Cardiology registrar Matthew Todd from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, summarised findings from the SUMMIT trial, recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine . Matthew Todd This 52-week trial included 731 patients with heart failure, an ejection fraction (EF) of at least 50%, and a BMI of at least 30. Results showed a 38% reduction in the primary composite endpoint of death from cardiovascular causes or worsening heart failure for those on tirzepatide compared with placebo. 'We know that obesity drives heart failure with preserved ejection fraction [HFpEF] progression,' said Todd. 'This is a population with limited treatment options but a high symptom burden.' Rosita Zakeri, honorary consultant cardiologist at King's College Hospital and Guys and St Thomas' NHS Trusts, and a senior clinical lecturer at King's College London, London, England, called the drugs 'safe.' Rosita Zakeri She said that based on available evidence, 'they're largely well-tolerated, effective treatments for obesity and its impact on quality of life in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.' However, she noted that the number of primary events in the SUMMIT trial was low. Many of the reported worsening heart failure cases were due to changes in diuretic therapy, not hospitalisations. 'We're far from saying that these are treatments for heart failure specifically,' Zakeri cautioned. Kramer also emphasised that these drugs are for HFpEF only and may not be safe for patients with heart failure with reduced EF. 'They may even be deleterious,' he warned. Long-Term Access Unclear Some patients are self-funding their treatment. When asked what to advise a patient struggling to afford tirzepatide, Tan said she would not recommend stopping the medication. 'When you come off these treatments, you do regain the weight,' she said. However, NHS access may be denied if patients do not meet strict criteria, such as having a BMI over 40 along with four comorbidities. Gaurav Gulsin, National Institute for Health and Care Research academic clinical lecturer in cardiology at the University of Leicester, Leicester, England, also emphasised to Medscape News UK that these are likely to be long-term treatments. He noted that NHS funding typically covers 2 years before reassessment and that sustainability remains a concern. Gaurav Gulsin 'These drugs do make people feel a lot better,' he said. 'I think it's important that we consider using them if and when we can.' Currently, semaglutide must be prescribed through specialist NHS clinics. Tirzepatide, however, can be prescribed in primary care. Gulsin said cardiologists could encourage GPs to consider initiating tirzepatide in eligible patients. Kramer declared being an investigator for the SUMMIT trial and the principal investigator for the SUMMIT CMR sub-study. He disclosed research support from, and acting as a consultant to, Eli Lilly and Company. He has also received consulting fees and honoraria from Bristol Myers Squibb and Xencor. Tan, Todd, and Gulsin had no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose. Zakeri acknowledged relationships with AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and SERB Pharmaceuticals.
