Technology
Kura Sushi VP: Why balancing tech, human involvement is an art
Hideto Sugimoto, VP of System & Menu Development at Kura Sushi USA, describes why his tech-centric brand will never give up human service.
March 6, 2023
As the restaurant industry becomes more and more competitive, brands have introduced new technologies that promise increased efficiencies, fewer errors and lower costs. But does technology take away from the guest experience? Is the future of restaurants devoid of human interaction and service? At Kura Sushi, a proud technology-enabled revolving sushi bar, we have promised to never give up on human service…ever.
Restauranteurs looking to bring technology to their restaurants should not assume that technology can replace the human element. It never will, and that assumption simply wouldn't be realistic. Instead, technology in restaurants should enhance the overall guest dining experience or improve internal operations but should never be seen as a way to replace the warm authenticity of human waitstaff or the reassurance that people — real people — were an integral part of preparing food served to guests.
At Kura Sushi, we are known for deftly incorporating technology with human interaction, service and food prep to achieve a balanced, memorable guest experience. Technology has been woven into our DNA since 1987, when we were among the first to pioneer the E-shaped revolving sushi bar concept in Japan. Nearly 50 years later, the brand has more than 600 locations worldwide, each boasting a unique combination of human and tech-focused aspects that deliver our signature eatertainment dining experience.
This strategic, guest-enhancing balance can be seen in the front-and back-of-house, including:
- Guests join the waitlist via Kura Sushi's app and are seated and greeted by a human server who ensures they're comfortable with the Kura experience. Staying true to our Japanese roots, which focus on hospitality, it is important for us to ensure our guests feel welcome. The human server provides instructions on how to select sushi from the revolving conveyer belt, as well as how to place an order from the kitchen using the tableside tablet.
- Kura employs a two-layer, E-shaped conveyer system comprised of a revolving sushi belt that circulates throughout the restaurant, and a "sushi highway" that sends dishes straight from the kitchen to the tables. Unlike most revolving sushi bars, which use circular designs, our E-shaped design maximizes customer seating along the conveyer belt.
- All dishes are prepared using the highest quality, authentic Japanese ingredients and are handmade in-house by human chefs. Once made, dishes are placed onto the revolving belt or sushi highway to be delivered to guests.
- Our kitchen staff use a rice washer, rice and vinegar mixer, and rice ball machine to speed up sushi preparation and ensure consistency with every order, but our human chefs are still the ones building the rolls and cooking. Rice is one of the most important ingredients of sushi and using those technologies and automation allow us to prepare rice speedy and provide consistent quality regardless of depending on each individual's skills and preferences. Our back-of-house technology allows us to move faster in the kitchen, while still serving food prepared by real, skilled chefs.
- Drinks are delivered tableside by "Kur-B" the Kurabot, a delivery robot that is programmed by human servers to deliver drinks to seated guests. Alcoholic beverages are delivered by our servers.
- For every five plates inserted into the tableside slots, a lively Japanese animation appears on the tableside tablet. For every 15 plates inserted, guests receive a prize from the Bikkura Pon Prize System located at each table. All plate slots are connected via a "river" that rinses the plates as soon as they're inserted and moves them to the dishwashing station in the back of house.
Based on guest feedback, our customers love the technological aspects of our dining experience that ultimately make the Kura Sushi experience unique. They also appreciate the way it allows them to customize their dining experience to their individual needs and preferences. From the comfort of their table, guests can see and control their plate count, order on-demand and decide the pace at which they want to enjoy their meal. Ultimately, our eatertainment experience is fun for our guests and makes Kura memorable, but we are committed to enhancing our guest experiences everyday by incorporating new technologies. We've been deploying technology in our restaurants for nearly four decades! Our biggest discovery has been unearthing how new technologies enhance the customer experience, and humbly leveraging guest feedback as a process-improvement tool.
Whether you choose to incorporate technology into your operations, customer experience or both, it's crucial your guests and staff feel they benefit from these additions. Guests of all ages need to feel welcomed and encouraged to enjoy the dining experience, and staff should feel that technology helps them do their jobs better. Of course, investing in technology that streamlines business also is likely to improve your bottom line.
After more than four decades in business, the balance between in-restaurant technology and human interactions is an art form we have mastered by applying thoughtful, strategic and guest-focused decision making.
