tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624561982769901130.post5428320821938586491..comments2023-04-16T06:03:35.346-07:00Comments on The Scoop ( Beta): The next big thing?Sonya Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00117564843486883430noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624561982769901130.post-49940392262465959452006-10-24T08:58:00.000-07:002006-10-24T08:58:00.000-07:00Some publications are just a little more ahead of ...Some publications are just a little more ahead of the curve than others, e.g., this exerpt from a Nov. 7, 1988, article in Nation's Restaurant News:<br><br><<<br>... A striking example of the East-West parallelism is the nostalgia-driven emergence of izakaya chains in Japan, a retrogressive phenomenon that has been likened to the new-wave resurrection of 1950s-style diners in the United States.<br><br>Reminiscent of old Japanese countryside pubs, the lively izakayas attract a youthful clientele by offering comparatively low-cost "grazing" menus of home-style snacks and beverages. "They are the Ed Debevic's of Japan," remarks foodservice consultant Keiko Sano, whose alternating bases are Yokohama and Los Angeles.<br><br>While Ed Debevic's gum-smacking waitress lip off and wisecrack to entertain customers, servers at izakayas may holler and shout to keep alive the traditional Japanese concept of ikaga-yoi, whereby a restaurant's "wholesome freshness" is expressed through the boisterous repartee of its staff.<br><br>Because izakayas are perceived as having a cross-cultural appeal for young consumers, those eating places "might be a good boat to ride into the American market," says Shigeaki Wada, president of the $480 million restaurant arm of the giant Seibu Saison Group. Seibu, whose annual sales of $22 billion make it one of Japan's largest and most diversified retailers, has already sailed into U.S. waters with its leading fast-food concept, Yoshinoya's Beef Bowl, which has 218 branches in metropolitan Tokyo and 31 in the Los Angeles area....<br>>>Richard Martinnoreply@blogger.com