BUSINESS LEGENDS: BOTEJYU Group Representative Director & CEO Hideto Kurita and VIVA Communications Inc. Chairman Vicente Del Rosario, Jr.
Did you know which Japanese restaurant brand boasts the most locations in the Philippines? It’s BOTEJYU®. This August, the brand celebrated its eighth anniversary in the country, currently operating an impressive 89 locations. What drives their remarkable success, and what are their ambitions for the future?
We sat down with Mr. Hideto Kurita from the BOTEJYU Group and Mr. Vicente Del Rosario, Jr., chairman of VIVA Communications Inc., a leading entertainment company in the Philippines, to explore the factors behind their thriving partnership and their vision moving forward.
Can you tell us about the history of BOTEJYU® in the Philippines?
Mr. Kurita: I first met Mr. Del Rosario in 2014, and the following year, we signed a partnership agreement. In July 2016, we opened the first BOTEJYU® location in the Philippines at SM Mall of Asia.
Mr. Del Rosario: As of August, we have 89 locations throughout the Philippines, and we plan to expedite our initial goal to reach 100 stores by next year. We’ve grown into a restaurant chain with about 2,000 employees.
Mr. Kurita: We are the largest Japanese restaurant chain in the Philippines in terms of the number of locations.
What was the background behind your partnership?
Mr. Del Rosario: At the time I met Mr. Kurita, VIVA Group was already operating fast-food franchises, but my interest in Japanese dining was piqued after meeting him. I believed that by offering casual dining options like those provided by the BOTEJYU Group—rather than high-end Japanese cuisine—we could reach many Filipinos and contribute to the development of the country’s food infrastructure.
Additionally, it’s rare for a company to survive for over 70 years in the Philippines as BOTEJYU® has done in Japan. I feel a mission to pass the group on to the next generation. Thus, I thought it would be beneficial to learn about Japanese management from Mr. Kurita while expanding the business together.
Mr. Kurita: Expanding in the Philippines, where many people are not familiar with Japanese cuisine, was a significant challenge for us. However, VIVA Group has strong branding and PR skills developed through their entertainment business. They also have robust connections with large commercial centers that feature cinemas, so it was clear that developers would welcome us for providing both entertainment and dining experiences.
The Philippines has a youthful population and is vibrant, offering significant growth potential in its rapidly developing market. We resonated well with each other.
How was your business during the pandemic?
Mr. Del Rosario: During the lockdown, we had to close all our stores temporarily and transitioned to delivery-only service. Our primary locations are in malls like SM, Ayala, and Robinsons, so our operations were aligned with the mall closures.
Mr. Kurita: However, we didn’t lay off any employees, and I’m very grateful for that.
Mr. Del Rosario: In fact, we managed to open four to five new stores each month during the pandemic. As we considered what we could do during this time, we saw that many competitors were leaving the market, which created more available locations for us to expand. In hindsight, the pandemic presented a significant opportunity for us when viewed from a long-term perspective. Although it required upfront investment, this period marked a major turning point for BOTEJYU® Philippines.
What kind of restaurant does BOTEJYU® Philippines aim to be?
Mr. Del Rosario: Our concept for customers in the Philippines is “Authentic Japanese Traditional Cuisine,” with our menu based on the “Japan Traveling Restaurant®” concept.
Mr. Kurita: “Japan Traveling Restaurant®” is about creating a restaurant experience that feels like a journey across Japan by train, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. We want our customers to enjoy local gourmet dishes that we define as “Authentic Japanese Traditional Cuisine.” Rather than simply soul food or local dishes, we aim to showcase flavors that are deeply rooted in each region and represent everyday Japanese dining. Essentially, we want to present ourselves as a “Japanese cuisine specialty restaurant.”
The BOTEJYU Group in Japan supports the ※B-1 Grand Prix®, promoting local specialties like Osaka’s okonomiyaki while engaging with communities nationwide. Many in these communities, like us, work hard to share regional flavors and foster community revitalization through our efforts, which have been ongoing for decades.
Recently, we introduced seven Japanese “SAMURAI IRON CHEF®” chefs across all our locations in the Philippines. These chefs are well-regarded in their local regions and support our mission of delivering authentic local flavors in the Philippines. There are many such chefs across Japan, and we plan to continue featuring them in the future.
IMAGE from BOTEJYU Philippines’ Facebook page
Next year, we aim to introduce 12 new chefs, ensuring our initiatives are sustainable for the future. This could provide a global platform for chefs and an opportunity for people from all 47 prefectures in Japan to learn about their local specialties. We want our restaurants to be a place that effectively communicates Japanese regions, cuisine, chefs, and the changing seasons.