FSR January 2023

NEX TGEN TRENDSE T TERS

HAJIME “JIMMY” UBA PRESIDENT AND CEO Kura Sushi USA, Inc.

W ith both enthusiasm and great care, Kura Sushi USA is exploring the many possibilities that technology—par ticularly automation— can bring to the restau rant dining room. At press time, the brand’s parent com pany in Japan was test ing an automated dish washer to help combat plateware shortages amid high traffic. “It can practically feel like our guests are tak ing plates off the belt faster than we can wash them,” says Kura Sushi USA president and CEO Hajime “Jimmy” Uba. While there’s not yet a timeline for the auto mated washer’s state side launch, Uba already predicts it will go a long way in streamlining back-of-house opera tions. After all, domestic locations of Kura Sushi have already found suc cess in guest-facing automation. Last summer, the brand introduced Kur-B the Kurabot, a delivery robot that brings guests beverage orders and condiments. Rather than detract from the dine-in atmosphere, Kur-B has been a hit. “The obvious con

cern would be that by introducing robots, you would reduce the ‘human touch’ you expect in hospitality. In fact, what we’ve seen through the implemen tation process has been the opposite,” Uba says. “By offloading certain tasks onto robot helpers, our employees are able to focus that much more on hospitality that only they can provide: the human touch.” Uba explains that with Kur-B handling the runner positions, staff can interact more with guests. This new dynamic, he says, has boosted cus tomer satisfac tion scores In addition to the automated dishwashers, Uba says visitors to Kura Sushi can expect more tech enhancements to pop up in stores, though he’s keeping the specifics under wraps for the time being. How ever, one development that’s right around the corner is the brand’s first drive-up window in and staff tips. Plus, guests have delighted in the novelty of a robot server.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: GUEST-FRIENDLY, STRATEGIC

American restaurants. Innovation, he says, comes from a constant pursuit of perfection. “When we’re building our strategies and initia tive pipeline, we don’t think in terms of being disruptive or innova tive for its own sake. What are we best at? What do our guests love about Kura, and why do they come to our res taurants?” Uba says. “These are the questions that serve as our north star.”

the forth coming Naperville, Illinois, loca

AUTOMATION IS A WIN WIN FOR OPERATORS AND GUESTS.

tion. Though it’s not a traditional

drive-thru, the format allows guests to pick up their to-go orders with out leaving the car. Uba credits Kura Sushi’s creative mindset to its four decades of success in Japan, which have instilled both insti tutional knowledge and a business approach that differs from many

EMILY J. DAVIS FOR KURA SUSHI / KURA SUSHI USA / COURTESY OF KURA SUSHI

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