5 ms·

Lessons learned from the restaurant across the street

21 points by vsloo 14y ago

MasterScrat 14y ago
Relevant: http://xkcd.com/993/ http://xkcd.com/993/
- minikomi 14y ago
  That's basically Muji(rushi Ryouhin) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji The name literally means Unmarked Good stuff.
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - pyre 14y ago
    In Canada, there is a brand called "No Name." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Name_(brand) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Name_(brand) http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WnoVJIMx0p8/TNV6W99nanI/AAAAAAAAAC8/ByGC5O21vvc/s1600/no+name.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WnoVJIMx0p8/TNV6W99nanI/AAAAAAAAAC... Note, that per the Wikipedia page, the brand is owned by Loblaw's (I didn't even know this prior to looking up the wiki page now), which is Canada's largest food distributor/grocer. The odd thing is that they have their own generic (more recognizable) brand, President's Choice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_Choice http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_Choice http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldw0zmYO0Z1qctkcl.jpg http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldw0zmYO0Z1qctkcl.jpg
  - snogglethorpe 14y ago
    I think this doesn't quite fit what Muji actually does; their products often lack obvious "forward" branding (of the sort that too often gets fetishized), but are definitely "branded" in the store, and often on the products as well ... (e.g. notepads / pens / etc come with obvious labels that are possible to remove, but people typically don't bother). There are certain attributes associated with Muji products, and that's why people shop there. A much closer fit (for the xkcd strip) is the short-lived early-'80s "generic products" fad in the U.S. You'd get stuff like beer in plain white cans with "BEER" written on them, on ordinary supermarket shelves. I wonder if the xkcd guy knew about that, or whether it's just convergent evolution ... :]
squarecat 14y ago
This isn't an entirely unique scenario, as there are other establishments not unlike this one that, once they achieved critical mass in awareness, simply gained intolerably long waits. This could be viewed as either an inability or unwillingness to scale. ("Inability" could be inherent in the effort, as in there is just not a feasible means to scale effectively.)
greggman 14y ago
Hijacking this thread but... "Plentiful for the cost" is an oxymoron to "great restaurant" Okay maybe that's a little bit flippant but seriously, judging a restaurant based on quantity of food for cost is apparently a very American thing and one of the reasons food is so bad here in general http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0767920562 http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0767920562 had a chapter on how different cultures think about food. Having lived in a different one for several years that valued flavor over quantity I wish there was some way to influence America's culture more in that direction. It might also help our obesity issues. I'd much rather have a small scoop of unique and delicious ice cream than the tubs that some of the most popular American chains dish out
- Dylanlacey 14y ago
  Assisting with hijack, I'm not sure it's only an American thing... Trawl Urbanspoon for Australia and you'll find plenty of restaurants (particularly fine dining) reviewed with a bitch about how much they cost compared to quantity delivered. Non-hijack: I'm not convinced that this restaurant has a "strategy" that involves being under the radar. Indeed, their marketing appears to go as far as telling people who walk past that it's open. They don't even appear to have a name. That's not being a tricksy "invite only" place, it's just not having any branding. At all.
mashmac2 14y ago
Corner of Williams and Saratoga in San Jose! I've thought about visiting that restaurant, but always wondered if it would be a disaster. I guess it's time to pay a visit...

21 points by vsloo 14y ago

MasterScrat 14y ago

Relevant: http://xkcd.com/993/ http://xkcd.com/993/

minikomi 14y ago
That's basically Muji(rushi Ryouhin) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji The name literally means Unmarked Good stuff.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- pyre 14y ago
  In Canada, there is a brand called "No Name." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Name_(brand) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Name_(brand) http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WnoVJIMx0p8/TNV6W99nanI/AAAAAAAAAC8/ByGC5O21vvc/s1600/no+name.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WnoVJIMx0p8/TNV6W99nanI/AAAAAAAAAC... Note, that per the Wikipedia page, the brand is owned by Loblaw's (I didn't even know this prior to looking up the wiki page now), which is Canada's largest food distributor/grocer. The odd thing is that they have their own generic (more recognizable) brand, President's Choice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_Choice http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_Choice http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldw0zmYO0Z1qctkcl.jpg http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldw0zmYO0Z1qctkcl.jpg
- snogglethorpe 14y ago
  I think this doesn't quite fit what Muji actually does; their products often lack obvious "forward" branding (of the sort that too often gets fetishized), but are definitely "branded" in the store, and often on the products as well ... (e.g. notepads / pens / etc come with obvious labels that are possible to remove, but people typically don't bother). There are certain attributes associated with Muji products, and that's why people shop there. A much closer fit (for the xkcd strip) is the short-lived early-'80s "generic products" fad in the U.S. You'd get stuff like beer in plain white cans with "BEER" written on them, on ordinary supermarket shelves. I wonder if the xkcd guy knew about that, or whether it's just convergent evolution ... :]

squarecat 14y ago

This isn't an entirely unique scenario, as there are other establishments not unlike this one that, once they achieved critical mass in awareness, simply gained intolerably long waits. This could be viewed as either an inability or unwillingness to scale. ("Inability" could be inherent in the effort, as in there is just not a feasible means to scale effectively.)

greggman 14y ago

Hijacking this thread but... "Plentiful for the cost" is an oxymoron to "great restaurant" Okay maybe that's a little bit flippant but seriously, judging a restaurant based on quantity of food for cost is apparently a very American thing and one of the reasons food is so bad here in general http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0767920562 http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0767920562 had a chapter on how different cultures think about food. Having lived in a different one for several years that valued flavor over quantity I wish there was some way to influence America's culture more in that direction. It might also help our obesity issues. I'd much rather have a small scoop of unique and delicious ice cream than the tubs that some of the most popular American chains dish out

Dylanlacey 14y ago
Assisting with hijack, I'm not sure it's only an American thing... Trawl Urbanspoon for Australia and you'll find plenty of restaurants (particularly fine dining) reviewed with a bitch about how much they cost compared to quantity delivered. Non-hijack: I'm not convinced that this restaurant has a "strategy" that involves being under the radar. Indeed, their marketing appears to go as far as telling people who walk past that it's open. They don't even appear to have a name. That's not being a tricksy "invite only" place, it's just not having any branding. At all.

mashmac2 14y ago

Corner of Williams and Saratoga in San Jose! I've thought about visiting that restaurant, but always wondered if it would be a disaster. I guess it's time to pay a visit...