U.S. Steak Promotions a Big Hit at Japan’s Family Restaurant Chains
U.S. Steak Promotions a Big Hit at Japan’s Family Restaurant Chains
As in most countries, families in Japan are watching their budgets carefully and dining out less frequently. When they do treat themselves to a meal out, they are looking for excellent value.
With this in mind, family restaurant chain Gusto – operated by Skylark Company – rolled out a very successful steak promotion beginning in December 2009. At more than 900 locations, Gusto featured the “Sticking-Out-Large Beef Steak” using a U.S. chuck eye roll.
Gusto restaurants of Japan recently enticed customers with a steak promotion featuring U.S. chuck eye roll
One of the keys to this promotion’s success was Skylark’s intense preparation. Last summer and fall, the company’s buyers visited U.S. beef plants to conduct product research. To minimize costs, Skylark directly purchased about 500 metric tons (1.1 million pounds) of chuck eye roll specifically for this menu promotion. Although the promotion ran through the end of March, Gusto actually had to suspend it for 30 days – from mid-January to mid-February - because sales far outpaced the company’s expectations.
The success of Gusto’s steak promotion isn’t lost on Japan’s other large family restaurant chains. Denny’s is currently running a major spring promotion, adding U.S. sirloin steak as a new menu item at all of its 430 locations throughout Japan. This is the first usage of U.S. beef for Denny’s since Japan’s resumption of U.S. beef imports, and the company anticipates using 48 metric tons (about 106,000 pounds) of sirloin by the end of the five-week promotion.
Red Lobster, which operates 25 restaurants in Japan, has also rolled out a six-month promotion featuring a 400-gram (about 14 ounces) U.S. chuck eye steak. In a February trial promotion at several outlets, Red Lobster recorded the highest sales of any steak ever featured on its menu.
U.S. steaks are a popular choice for Red Lobster customers in Japan
“The success of these promotions is a further example of how Japanese consumers not only accept, but readily embrace, U.S. beef,” said USMEF Chairman Jim Peterson, a rancher from Buffalo, Mont. “These steaks offer budget-conscious families a delicious meal at a reasonable price, and they are responding in a big way.”
Support for the restaurant promotions was provided by the Beef Checkoff Program and the Market Access Program. U.S. beef exports to Japan increased 23 percent in 2009, reaching 91,467 metric tons (nearly 202 million pounds) valued at more than $470 million. The market is also off to a strong start this year, with January 2010 exports surpassing their year-ago value by nearly 40 percent.
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.
U.S. Steak Promotions a Big Hit at Japan’s Family Restaurant Chains
As in most countries, families in Japan are watching their budgets carefully and dining out less frequently. When they do treat themselves to a meal out, they are looking for excellent value.
With this in mind, family restaurant chain Gusto – operated by Skylark Company – rolled out a very successful steak promotion beginning in December 2009. At more than 900 locations, Gusto featured the “Sticking-Out-Large Beef Steak” using a U.S. chuck eye roll.
Gusto restaurants of Japan recently enticed customers with a steak promotion featuring U.S. chuck eye roll
One of the keys to this promotion’s success was Skylark’s intense preparation. Last summer and fall, the company’s buyers visited U.S. beef plants to conduct product research. To minimize costs, Skylark directly purchased about 500 metric tons (1.1 million pounds) of chuck eye roll specifically for this menu promotion. Although the promotion ran through the end of March, Gusto actually had to suspend it for 30 days – from mid-January to mid-February - because sales far outpaced the company’s expectations.
The success of Gusto’s steak promotion isn’t lost on Japan’s other large family restaurant chains. Denny’s is currently running a major spring promotion, adding U.S. sirloin steak as a new menu item at all of its 430 locations throughout Japan. This is the first usage of U.S. beef for Denny’s since Japan’s resumption of U.S. beef imports, and the company anticipates using 48 metric tons (about 106,000 pounds) of sirloin by the end of the five-week promotion.
Red Lobster, which operates 25 restaurants in Japan, has also rolled out a six-month promotion featuring a 400-gram (about 14 ounces) U.S. chuck eye steak. In a February trial promotion at several outlets, Red Lobster recorded the highest sales of any steak ever featured on its menu.
U.S. steaks are a popular choice for Red Lobster customers in Japan
“The success of these promotions is a further example of how Japanese consumers not only accept, but readily embrace, U.S. beef,” said USMEF Chairman Jim Peterson, a rancher from Buffalo, Mont. “These steaks offer budget-conscious families a delicious meal at a reasonable price, and they are responding in a big way.”
Support for the restaurant promotions was provided by the Beef Checkoff Program and the Market Access Program. U.S. beef exports to Japan increased 23 percent in 2009, reaching 91,467 metric tons (nearly 202 million pounds) valued at more than $470 million. The market is also off to a strong start this year, with January 2010 exports surpassing their year-ago value by nearly 40 percent.
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.