'O-bento' -- the food chain in a box

[misa.j]

I have been thinking of opening a Japanese lunch box stand. Japanese bento is much healthier than those Chinese fast food(no offence) which is already very poplar, but the problem is that not a lot of people know about Japanese food where I live. I still believe though, that I can target young people such as 40's and younger.

Would you buy a Japanese bento if you can in the U.S.?

 

[Jean-Francois]

Sure, I will buy. Before, when I was living in a small town in Connecticut we had to drive all the way to New Haven for Japanese food.

 

[misa.j]

That is the thing. There are a couple of Japanese restaurants in upstate NY where I live, but it is so expencive to eat enough food there, and I, too have to drive half an hour to even get there.

I thought it would be a good idea to have my own. With a Luch box stand, I can introduce how good the Japanese food is to people very humbly and deliciously.
Do you know what I mean humbly, because the bento is small...

 

[Jean-Francois]

In Toronto, the Janpanese sushi stands are quite successful. Before you open your own, maybe it is a good idea to take a trip to Eaton Centre at downtown Toronto and Markville Mall in Markham. Most stands are owned by Koreans (they make better J-food then HK people in general) and have good business. I think you can use some business models for emulation.

Actually, from what I observe, most of sushi eaters (aside from oriental customers which in Toronto we have a lot) are working white females between the age of 18 - 40s. And the location of your stand is very important.

I think sushi stand will do better in a mall with a lot of business buildings around it or something like that. You know what I mean? Because if it is only in the food court of a shopping mall, many customers are not in a rush and they can have a salad at a Greek fast food restaurant and fried chickens from KFC.

But if it is in a busy business neighborhood, a lot of white collars don't have time to wait during lunch time. You can just take their money and give them a box of sushi (pre-made). You can also sell some exotic healthy drinks from East Asia e.g. honey ginseng tea and etc. A lot of women buy into that kind of beauty stuffs ... Just tell them after they drink it they will have oriental girl's skin ...

Hee hee I am a very lazy person, it's only 6:55pm and I want to take a nap...

Good luck!

 

[Fattyaddy]

I've never had a bento box...what about the ones that have the faceless octopuses? (aren't they little hot dogs made to look like octo?)

 

[bezz]

尚道子

what about the ones that have the faceless octopuses? (aren't they little hot dogs made to look like octo?)

Michiko Sho (deceased in 2002,) who was on Today's Cooking TV show for twenty years, was the inventor of the cute octopus-shaped Vienna sausage. Her husband Akira Sho was a descendant from Okinawan royal family.
The culinary critic Asako Kishi is her younger sister.

Related thread

 

[Ever]

I have been thinking of opening a Japanese lunch box stand. Japanese bento is much healthier than those Chinese fast food(no offence) which is already very poplar, but the problem is that not a lot of people know about Japanese food where I live. I still believe though, that I can target young people such as 40's and younger.
Would you buy a Japanese bento if you can in the U.S.?

Wow, it seems like this is an old post, so I don't know if you'll even check back, but I just wanted to say that I would for sure buy a Japanese bento if I could; however, there are a lot of Japanese restaurants already in my area (Wash., D.C.) although they are sort of a hybrid type which they call as Pan Asian cuisine (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese). I still think this is an excellent idea.