【悲報】しゃぶ葉『豚バラ』一時休止で『豚ロース』提供へ
Sad news for Shabu-Yo fans: the beloved all-you-can-eat restaurant is temporarily suspending its popular pork belly offering, replacing it with pork loin.
This announcement has sparked mixed reactions online, with some expressing disappointment over the change while others welcome the leaner option.
Many speculate that the recent surge in material costs and overall inflation are likely behind this menu adjustment.
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Pork Belly vs. Pork Loin (Characteristics in Shabu-shabu)
Pork belly is characterized by layers of lean meat and fat around the pig's ribs. In shabu-shabu, its abundant fat melts, providing juicy richness and sweetness to the entire meat. Its tenderness and good compatibility with broth make it a popular cut, especially in all-you-can-eat settings. Pork loin, located on the pig's back, is primarily lean with a fine texture and a balanced amount of fat. Compared to pork belly, it offers a lighter, more refined taste, allowing the natural flavor of the meat to shine. In shabu-shabu, it provides a delicate texture and flavor distinct from the rich intensity of pork belly. This change at Shabu-Yo represents a significant difference in consumer dining experience, not just a change of cut. Customers who prefer pork belly are drawn to its rich fatty flavor and tenderness, so the switch to loin raises concerns about a "change in taste." Conversely, for customers who prefer less fat or a lighter meal, pork loin can be a welcome option. Companies like Shabu-Yo must make such difficult decisions by comprehensively considering supply stability, cost ratio, and customer preferences for each cut.
Shabu-Yo (All-You-Can-Eat Business Model)
Shabu-Yo is an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu and sukiyaki specialty restaurant chain operated by the Skylark Group. Its main feature is the "all-you-can-eat" business model, allowing customers to enjoy high-quality meat, fresh vegetables, noodles, and desserts as much as they like for a fixed price. The variety of broth options, extensive condiment and sauce bar, and dessert waffles are also popular. This all-you-can-eat model's basic strategy is to maintain a high profit margin by ensuring stable customer spend while curbing costs through bulk purchasing of ingredients and efficient store operations (e.g., self-service drink and vegetable bars). However, such a business model is highly vulnerable to fluctuations in ingredient purchase prices. Especially when the price of key ingredients like pork soars or stable supply becomes difficult, the cost ratio worsens, directly pressurizing profits. The temporary suspension of pork belly at Shabu-Yo is believed to be a difficult choice made to sustain this all-you-can-eat model. To maintain customer satisfaction while ensuring sound business operations, strategic decisions such as menu changes and price revisions are essential.
Food Cost (Cost of Goods Sold in the Foodservice Industry)
Food cost refers to the ratio of the raw material cost of dishes and drinks provided in a restaurant to its sales. In the foodservice industry, a food cost ratio of generally 25% to 35% is considered a benchmark for healthy business operations. This food cost, along with labor costs, rent, utilities, etc., is a crucial factor significantly affecting profits. Various factors influence food cost fluctuations, such as soaring vegetable prices due to bad weather, increased feed costs due to rising international grain prices, exchange rate fluctuations (higher import costs due to a weaker yen), and reduced supply due to livestock epidemics like swine fever. In recent years, due to global instability and the depreciation of the yen, the Japanese foodservice industry has faced unprecedented increases in ingredient costs. As an all-you-can-eat establishment, Shabu-Yo's profits are directly pressured by rising ingredient costs because the price remains fixed regardless of how much a customer eats. The temporary suspension of pork belly is believed to be a direct result of facing these soaring food costs and supply stability issues. To maintain quality and continue operations without overly burdening customers, strategic initiatives to optimize food costs, such as menu reviews, diversification of suppliers, and changes in cuts offered, are constantly required.