The reason is that I had a very hard time doing it last time.
For a while after it opened in 2009, Bokumo had a much more casual style than it does now.
They often had things like wine by weight, half-price magnum bottles, and all-you-can-drink craft beer fairs.
The early Bokumo events included live events and talk events, giving the band a cluttered, mixed-culture style.
The selling point was that it was priced more casually than it is now and was easy to use.
Of course, there were also events where everyone was happy, from the customers to the organizers to the restaurant.
However, there were also some disappointment parties that were not like that.
When something I didn't want to happen happened, the damage was quite great.
The equipment is insured so we can manage, but my staff and I's hearts are a problem.
I won't go into the details of what happened, but you can pretty much guess what happened.
I learned a lesson from seeing what happened back then.
"Some people show their true nature when they are brought to a store they did not actively choose (a store they are brought to), which is not good for that store."
And Bokumo stopped operating as a rental property.
If we rented the venue exclusively, it would be easier to prepare and generate sales. Still, we prioritized other important things.
Then came Corona.
During that time, I thought a lot about the nature of restaurants.
And regarding renting out the venue exclusively, I thought, "The reason why customers make mistakes during exclusive business may depend on the mood of the venue."
It may seem blunt to say this, but the more casual a store is, the greater the risk of being treated lightly. I wonder if the store's "it's okay to look down on you" attitude is inviting people to make mistakes.
No, that's not true. The majority of people just enjoy themselves. But, as I've said many times before, one mistake can really hurt us.
To avoid that damage, we just need to change our positioning. If we move away from the casual zone and become a place that suits a more mature drinking style, the risk of something happening to us might decrease.
With this in mind, we undertook various renovations and eventually developed into the Bokumo we know today (although in reality there are many other reasons why Bokumo changed).
Now that the coronavirus pandemic has finally subsided, how should we view that dangerous private rental?
After thinking about it, we have decided that Bokumo now offers exclusive use under certain conditions.
The condition is, "The request must come from someone who likes Bokumo."
I'm sorry if I sound arrogant. I'm willing to accept criticism that I don't think I'm good enough. But after 14 years in the business, I think this is the optimal solution for now.
We hope that even after the private event, our customers and our store will maintain a good relationship.
And this week, we held our first private event since the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
It was a year-end party for a wine importer that I work with. People in the alcohol industry have a very good drinking habit. The branch manager's speech was also wonderful.
In the middle of the event, I had the honour of giving some tasting comments on the New Zealand wine "Cloudy Bay" imported by the importer.
It was quite a thrilling experience to taste new vintage wines that had just arrived in Japan, quickly think of my own comments, and then present them in front of a group of professionals.
I'm grateful that the meeting gave me the feeling that our good relationship will continue into the future.
By the way, the new vintage of Cloudy Bay's Sauvignon Blanc is 2023, and the Pinot Noir is 2021. Both are scheduled to be available for sale at Bokumo Wine from around the beginning of the new year.
I will write more detailed comments on the sales site later. Both are very delicious.
By the way, Bokumo is fully booked on weekends in December, but not at all in January.
If you are a kind person who likes Bokumo, please let us have the place for you! lol
P.S.
