Bokumo , which started in 2009, is now celebrating its 13th anniversary.
Well, we've been going stop-and-go for the past two years, so I can't proudly say we've been in business for a solid 13 years, but we did manage to celebrate our opening anniversary on July 17th, which is an important day for us.
I would like to thank all of our customers who visited us, our business partners, everyone who appeared at our events, all of our current and past staff, and our chef who has been my partner for the past 13 years.
Yes, a customer asked me this the other day.
"How many staff members have worked at Bokumo so far?"
...Well, I've never counted.
So I counted them (as far as I could remember).
"Maybe about 20 people."
"Wow! 20 people in 13 years! That's so few!"
Is that so...?
I opened Bokumo without knowing much about the food and beverage industry, and there are still some things I don't fully understand, so I don't know what is normal.
However, the customer said, "It's true, I have the impression that once new employees join Bokumo, they stay for quite a long time."
Well, when you think about it, this is a very good thing.
We are a small, privately owned store in an idyllic location. We strive to provide a unique Bokumo experience rather than just convenience.
Of course, the core of a "unique experience" is the taste, but the taste of a restaurant is also related to the "mood of the restaurant." "Taste + mood" is the experience of that restaurant.
And that mood largely includes the "comfort that customers feel when interacting with staff."
It's difficult to create this comfortable atmosphere when the staff is constantly changing.
After all, if you work for a certain amount of time, your body will get used to the job. When you can move with your body instead of your head, you will feel more relaxed.
This will make it easier to smile and be more considerate.
That's why it's so precious that our staff continue to choose to work at Bokumo. You should always keep that in mind, Iwasu-kun. Yes.
By the way, all of our regular staff members were introduced to us by our customers. We are so blessed with great people around us. We always... Yes!
Well, with the help of our capable staff, we held a small event called "Live & Buffet" this week to celebrate Bokumo's 13th anniversary.
The first half was a live concert celebrating the release of an album by singer-songwriter Kazumina, who is also a staff member.
I'm a little biased, but my hands were shaking as I operated the mixer behind the scenes during the performance. There are some really great songs on the new album. I think he's a real talent.
One day, a musical giant will snatch me away, asking, "Where has this talent been sleeping?" Until then, I want to stew in my work until the time is right, without compromising.
In the second half, the guests enjoyed some delicious food prepared by his partner chef (a variety of both revivals and new dishes) plus New Zealand wine (a variety of rare options).
This was the first anniversary event since the restaurant was renovated and its capacity reduced.
I wondered what would happen, but I got the feeling that if we made some ingenuity despite the small size, it would be possible to hold the event in the future.
If I want to do something bigger, I can just rent somewhere else.
That's right. Thinking back, the number of people who participated in the 10th anniversary event that we held at Club Quattro was 230. There were a lot of musicians, a lot of customers, a lot of drunk people...
"Normally, you wouldn't have an all-you-can-drink event at Quattro, would you?" I was told. What is normal? Again.
At that time, previous staff members also came to help, and I was really grateful.
In comparison, the 13th anniversary party had 23 people. Just one-tenth of the number. I wonder if this size is appropriate now.
It may be a small gathering, but it was intense. I think it was that kind of gathering.
"You're going to do something big again on the 15th anniversary, right?"
We receive comments like that too. We appreciate your anticipation of something out of the ordinary.
I'm sure we'll do it. It'll be big, it'll be a lot of fun. I'd like to invite all the previous staff members to join us.
However, if the store doesn't survive until then, we won't be able to hold any events.
First of all, survival is the first priority. To achieve that, we need to be creative.
Even in the 14th year, today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow is better than today.
I'm going to try some small tweaks and simmer the boxo for a little while to make it a little more delicious.
