Waiting 30 years to enjoy Kobe beef sandwiches in Japan.

Asahiya is a popular butcher shop in Takasago City, Hyogo Prefecture (Japan). Their croquettes made with Kobe beef are very famous. However, if you want to try them, you'll have to wait about 30 years.

According to CNN, the Asahiya restaurant, which opened in 1926, sells a wide variety of meats sourced from Hyogo Prefecture, including Kobe beef. They later added beef croquettes to their menu after World War II.

However, it wasn't until the early 2000s that croquettes became an online craze, with many customers even having to wait up to 30 years to buy one.

A business idea that is not profitable.

The pastry called "extreme croquettes" is one of four types of Kobe beef-filled pastries at the Asahiya store. Many customers couldn't wait three decades and were forced to order the premium Kobe beef croquettes instead, which would only require a wait of about four years.

Shigeru Nitta, the third-generation owner of the shop, said: "We started selling our products on online shopping channels in 1999. At that time, the croquette was just a trial product."

Growing up in Hyogo, Mr. Nitta visited local farms and attended beef auctions with his father from a young age. He took over the shop from his father in 1994 when he was just 30 years old. After experimenting with e-commerce for a few years, he realized that most customers were hesitant to buy premium beef at high prices. So, he made the bold decision to make and sell beef croquettes filled with potatoes.

At that time, a croquette sold for 170 yen (30,000 VND) while a piece of Kobe beef inside cost 400 yen (70,000 VND).

The shop sells croquettes made with premium meat at affordable prices, aiming to attract consumers. "After trying the croquettes, customers will love the filling and choose to buy Kobe beef separately on subsequent visits," the shop owner hopes.

After a few years in business, Nitta realized that customers were still hesitant to spend a large sum of money on premium cuts of meat on e-commerce platforms. To minimize initial cost risks, the shop only sold 200 croquettes per week. The affordable price combined with high quality attracted locals to try the dish.

By the 2000s, with media attention, Kobe beef croquettes had become a sensation. "We had to temporarily stop taking orders in 2016 because the wait times were too long, over 14 years. However, customers kept calling and asking us to reopen," Nitta told CNN.

In 2017, Asahiya continued to accept orders for these croquettes, but the price increased to 500-540 yen per piece (89,000-96,000 VND). Production also increased to 200 pieces per day.

Nitta also succeeded with his initially crazy business idea, as more than half of the customers who tried the croquette returned to order Kobe beef.

Production is increasing, but popularity is also growing.

Although Extreme Croquettes are quite affordable, the quality is still guaranteed. They are freshly made daily and contain no preservatives. Ingredients include Kobe beef raised for 3 years and potatoes sourced from local farms.

Mr. Nitta also said that he encouraged farms to use cow dung to grow potatoes. The potato stalks would then feed the cows, creating a cycle. Eventually, Mr. Nitta's unique idea really caught the attention of locals and the media. When the potato croquettes from Asahiya's shop first launched in the 2000s, their popularity skyrocketed.

Nita said, "We had to stop selling the croquettes in 2016 because customers had to wait over 14 years to buy them. We considered stopping orders, but we still received many calls from people wanting to buy them. Asahiya store resumed taking orders for these croquettes in 2017, but increased the price."

"At that time, the shop increased the price by about $3.40-$3.70 including tax. But since we started exporting Kobe beef, the price of beef has doubled, so the potato croquette sales have suffered. Production also increased sharply from 200 croquettes/week to 200 croquettes/day. In fact, the Extreme Croquette became more popular than the others," Nitta laughed as he talked about his failed business idea.

Many people also suggested that the shop should hire more people to make croquettes faster, but I think no shop would hire more production staff and end up losing money. I feel bad about making customers wait and I also want to make the pastries quickly to deliver them to customers as soon as possible, but doing so would bankrupt the shop," Nitta said.

Fortunately, Mr. Nitta said that half of those who tried the croquettes eventually ordered their Kobe beef, so this can be considered a sound marketing strategy.

Tourist destination

Each box of Extreme Croquette potato chips contains 5 pieces and sells for $18.40. The store will regularly send updates to waiting customers to provide the latest estimated shipping time. One week before delivery, the store will confirm the delivery with the customer again.

"Of course, some people have changed their email addresses. In this case, we will call them directly and inform them of the specific delivery date. They may notify us of the change in delivery address through our website, or they can let us know when we call," Nitta said.

"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 are many people who have never eaten Kobe beef. For that reason, I wanted to continue selling croquettes so people could try it and take 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 profit or a loss," Nitta said.

Looking ahead, the 58-year-old owner says he's thinking about expanding. "I want to create a small space where people can sample the cakes, and our shop will be a destination for tourists," he added.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao