Competitive Drivers of Benihana

Quality of Food: Americans was having very bad perception about Japanese food. Rocky changed the way Americans think about Japanese food, it is because of quality of food served in Benihana. In Benihana there were well trained chefs who are expert in their job. According to the Benihanas survey 47% people feel that good food persuaded them to come into Benihana.

Dependability: As Benihana providing the excellent services and that make sure for a customer to leave out the Benihana within 45-60 minutes. They are more conscious about timing and they dont let the people sit free or wasting time

Flexibility: As benihana introduce the teppanayaki table system that allow them to prepare the food in front of the people and help in reducing the space and various cost.

Cost: The ultimate goal of every firm is to maximize the profit by minimizing the cost so benihana minimize its cost by reducing the menu only to three items so that they can avoid wastage and storage of food As typical restaurant uses 30% of its space as back of the house but in case of benihana by introducing hibachi table arrangement they reduce the space about 22% of its total space Benihana dont have to pay extra for customers entertainment because its food preparation is itself an entertainment for the customer.

ROLE OF COMPTETIOR DRIVERS:ORDER WINNER QUALITY

The most important factor of benihana is quality and as benihana was providing the excellent quality of Japanese food rather than providing sukiyaki soup, slithery items and fishy things. They restricted their menu to only for three items so that they were able to provide the best and fresh quality. Even people were mainly concern about highlighting the food aspect of benihana as compare to other aspects like the atmosphere, preparation, service etc.

ORDER QUALIFIER: - FLEXIBILITY, DEPENDIBILITY FLEXIBILITY: Benihana innovated the way to introduce the hibachi table arrangement to provide the
exotic environment. Where in America people love to eat food which is prepared in front of them. So by introducing the hibachi table arrangement, he changed the way of preparing food.

Benihana introduce the bar/lounge/holding area in such a way that it situated nearby of dining room so people can wait over there to get into the group and can utilize the time by drinking wine or bear.

DEPENDIBILITY: Again as benihana was providing the excellent food services and make sure for a costumer to leave the table between 45 to 60 minutes. They were making sure although they were having less food items but providing the best things to eat.

LEAST IMPORTANT:COST
In benihana people were more bother about the entertainment and then food quality hence they were least bother about the money and cost As in benihana, lunch cost around $6 and dinner at$10 but still people used to come in large quantity so this factor bother least to people

Typical Restaurant vs. Benihana

Subject Food preparation Variety Tradition Presentation Staff

Typical restaurant Back house kitchen requirement High variety of food No traditional impact was given No showmanship, simple presentation. Less importance was given to staff 30% of the total space needed for back house. Advertisement on most of the entertainment pages on newspaper High variety of food high per unit cost, more wastage.

Benihana No back house kitchen, live kitchen. Limited variety of food. More focused on traditional Japanese way. Showmanship & unique presentation by the chef Priority was given to the specialized chefs.

Space

Needed only 22% of the total space.

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Cost

Low variety of food low per unit cost, less wastag

What is the operation strategy focus of Benihana?

TOP DOWN APPROACH: The mission of rocky was to change the perception or thinking of Americans about Japanese food- no slithery, fishy things. To introduce the innovated hibachi cooking to America.

Marketing requirement: Benihana operation strategy is created according to the market analysis:The first requirement was that Americans enjoying eating in exotic environment but deeply mistrustful of exotic food- this was observed by the rocky during living in America. In America before benihana, there were no other way to get that exciting surrounding. Like showmanship and other things. Rocky understood that requirement and implemented it soon. To provide the hibachi table arrangement- rocky introduce this very innovated things to American people as he observed that Americans people very much enjoy watching their food being prepared in front of them and also like to get together in group while sitting around and likely this system was completing their wishes. To provide the better quality of Japanese food- he found that Americans were having very bad perception or thinking about Japanese food. They just think that it is all about the slithery items and fishy things. He just wants to change their perception by providing the best quality of food.

Influence of operational strategy goals on the design production/service system

They were doing the optimum utilization of space by reducing to 22% as compare to a typical restaurant which uses the 30% so by doing this they able to cut labor cost up to 10 to 12 %. On other hand they utilize the manpower also in effective way as the chef able to do every work in spite of his own work also and for that they just pay some extra amount of money. Their strategy was to provide the exotic surrounding to Americans people so they introduce the new concept of hibachi table system. They just limited their food items to only three entrees. By doing this they were able to cut the cost which incurred upon wastage and storage of food. More ever they were able to provide the better quality of food. By maintaining the authentication they were just highlighting to show benihana as complete Japanese restaurant.

Major design factors:-

Location- they were mainly having the focus on lunch business so they set up their firm location to nearby of office and traffic area to target the services people and executives. They gradually increase their bar/lounge space as they found out that, this segment has the good profit margin and also can utilize and maintain the timing between food preparations. They were thinking to diversify their businesses by opening more and more chain restaurants at different places and even in small cities and also by making the joint ventures with hotels and other companies. Infrastructure- they started planning to use of raw material and man power from local market as to reduce the cost which incurred on importing them and training them. They planned to introduce the packed food under the name of benihana to increase their profit margins Now as to increase their income volumes they are planning to target the new younger generation and middle class of family. So only they are introducing the benihana in small cities also.