Asahiya is a popular butcher shop in Takasago City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Its Kobe beef croquettes are famous there. But if you want to eat them, you will have to wait about 30 years.
According to CNN, Asahiya opened in 1926 and sold a variety of meats from Hyogo Prefecture, including Kobe beef. They added beef croquettes to their menu after World War II.
These Japanese beef sandwiches are so popular they have a 30-year waiting list.
However, it wasn't until the early 2000s that croquettes became an online sensation, with many customers having to wait up to 30 years to buy one.
Unprofitable business ideas
The so-called "extreme croquettes" are one of four Kobe beef croquettes at Asahiya. Many customers couldn't wait for three decades and were forced to order the "Premier Kobe Beef Croquettes" instead, which they would only have to wait about four years to buy.
"We started selling our products online in 1999. At that time, the croquettes were just a trial product," said Shigeru Nitta, the shop's third-generation owner.
Growing up in Hyogo, Mr. Nitta visited local farms and attended beef auctions with his father from a young age. Mr. Nitta took over the store from his father in 1994 at the age of 30. After experiencing e-commerce for a few years, he realized that most customers were hesitant to buy high-quality beef for a large sum of money. So he made the bold decision to make potato croquettes filled with beef to sell.
Shigeru Nitta is the third generation owner of Asahiya.
At that time, a croquette was sold for 170 yen (30,000 VND) and a piece of Kobe beef inside cost 400 yen (70,000 VND).
The shop sells croquettes made from premium meat at affordable prices, aiming to attract consumers. "After trying the croquettes, customers will like the filling inside and choose to buy Kobe beef separately next time," the shop owner hopes.
After a few years in business, Nitta realized that customers were still hesitant to spend a large amount of money to buy high-end meat on e-commerce platforms. To minimize the risk of costs in the beginning, the store only opened 200 croquettes for sale per week. The low price but high quality attracted locals to experience this dish.
By the 2000s, when the Kobe beef croquettes received media attention, they had become a craze. "We had to stop taking orders in 2016 because the wait time was too long, more than 14 years. However, customers kept calling and asking to reopen," Nitta told CNN.
In 2017, Asahiya continued to take orders for these croquettes, but the price increased to 500-540 yen (89,000-96,000 VND) per piece. Production also increased to 200 pieces per day.
Diners must be patient to enjoy this dish.
Nitta also succeeded with his crazy business idea when more than half of the customers who tried the croquettes came back to order Kobe beef.
Production increased but popularity also increased
Although the Extreme Croquette is quite cheap, the quality is still guaranteed. The croquettes are fresh daily with no preservatives. The ingredients include 3-year-old Kobe beef and potatoes sourced from local farms.
Mr. Nitta also said that he encouraged farmers to use cow dung to grow potatoes. The potato stalks would then be fed to cows, creating a circular cycle. Eventually, Mr. Nitta’s unique idea really caught the attention of locals and the media. When Asahiya’s potato croquettes first appeared in the 2000s, their popularity skyrocketed.
Ingredients include 3-year-aged Kobe beef and potatoes sourced from local farms.
"We had to stop selling the croquettes in 2016 because customers had to wait more than 14 years to buy them. We thought about stopping taking orders but we kept getting calls. Asahiya resumed taking orders for these croquettes in 2017 but increased the price," said Mr. Nita.
"At that time, the store increased the price by about 3.4-3.7 USD with tax. But since the start of exporting Kobe beef, the price of beef has doubled, so the sales of potato croquettes have been in deficit. Production has also increased sharply from 200 croquettes/week to 200 croquettes/day. In fact, the Extreme Croquette has become more popular than the other types," Mr. Nitta laughed when talking about his loss-making business idea.
Many people also say that the shop should hire more people to make croquettes faster, but I don't think any shop hires more staff to produce more but has a bigger deficit. I feel sorry for making customers wait and also want to make the croquettes quickly to deliver to customers as soon as possible, but doing so will bankrupt the shop," said Mr. Nitta.
Luckily, Mr. Nitta says that half of the people who tried the croquettes ended up ordering their Kobe beef, so it seems like the marketing strategy was right.
Tourist destination
Each box of Extreme Croquettes contains 5 pieces and sells for $18.40. The store will send regular updates to customers waiting to receive the latest shipping estimates. The store will confirm the delivery with the customer again a week before delivery.
"Of course, some people have changed their email address. In that case, we will call them directly and give them the specific delivery date. They can notify us of the change of delivery address through our website or when we call them, they can let us know," Nitta said.
A 30-year waiting list is a huge pressure, especially as Kobe beef and labor prices continue to rise.
"When I started selling croquettes online, I received orders from remote islands. Most of them had heard about Kobe beef on TV but had never tried it. I realized that there were many people who had never eaten Kobe beef. For that reason, I wanted to continue selling croquettes for people to try and get more orders for Kobe beef if they liked it. That's why I started, and so I don't really care whether it's a loss or a profit," said Mr. Nitta.
In the future, the 58-year-old boss said he is thinking about expanding. "I want to create a small space where people can try our cakes and our shop will be a destination for tourists," he added.
