If you are interested in having your very own restaurant, and you need a totally new concept, you should set up an Izakaya restaurant.

This type of restaurant is a traditional Japanese bar, where people of all ages and stations go to enjoy a cool beer and some skewered meats. If you are going to build your own Izakaya though, you should know where to start. Here are tips on setting up an Izakaya restaurant.

1. Do Your Research

Before you start building your Izakaya bar, it is very important that you do your research as thoroughly as possible. Remember that a majority of the people who will go to your Izakaya are Japanese people or people who know what an Izakaya is. If you just build your Izakaya without knowing what it is, and how to run it, you will most likely lose customers in the long run. Make it a priority to check the menu, the philosophy, and what people expect from an Izakaya.

2. Invest in Replicating True Izakaya Architecture

If you have ever been to an Izakaya, you would notice that it has a unique look. A majority of Izakayas look like a traditional Japanese house, with wooden paneling, and tatami mat flooring.

Some Izakayas are larger structures that could house large groups of people, while some are meant to act as small wayside diners where people could get a drink standing up. If you are looking for ways to make your Izakaya more spacious, and comfortable, you should check out guyabouthome. It is a site that specializes in home design.

3. Invest In A Skilled Cook

Although an Izakaya is predominantly a bar, this does not mean that you should not serve food. A majority of Izikayas offer side dishes such as eel and chicken skewers. Some even offer full meals such as curry rice. These dishes might seem simple to make, however, it is important that your food caters to a Japanese palate. Remember that one of the main reasons why Japanese people go to Izakayas is because they are homesick, and they want to taste food that reminds them of home.

If you want to be able to cater to your customer’s tastes, you should hire a cook that could actually cook these dishes. It might take a bit of interviewing, and testing before you could actually find a suitable cook, but it will be all worth it if you could cater to your target demographic’s taste.

4. Service Is Key

If there is one aspect of Izakaya culture that you should know, it is that service is key. If you are going to have seats around your bar, it should be limited to only a few seats.  When it comes to running an Izakaya, the main intent is not to cram it with as many people as possible. Instead, your main goal is to make it as cozy as possible, so that people will want to hang out and order more drinks and side dishes.

It is also important that you practice cleanliness as you run the Izakaya. Make it a policy to install hand sanitizers throughout your bar. Remember that a majority of people in Izakayas eat with their hands, and bacteria and viral infections will spread fast if you are not vigilant about cleanliness.

5. Promote A Relaxed Atmosphere

The main reason why most people go to Izakayas is that they want to unwind after a hard day’s work. As a rule, it is very important that you promote a relaxed atmosphere at your Izakaya. Even if your Izakaya is not in Japan, you should implement a no-raised voices rule. You could also implement a two-drink rule, however, a majority of Izakayas even offer a drink all you can service, so you should be a bit more relaxed with your liquor.

However, you should have stringent rules when it comes to rowdiness in the bar. It might seem like a pain to implement these policies, however, you should remember that people go to Izakayas to relax, so these precautions are very necessary.

6. Invest In Quality Lighting

If you want to create a certain ambiance in your Izakaya restaurant, it is important that you invest in the right lighting. Izakayas should have a certain feel to them.  One of the best ways to get this feeling is to incorporate multifaceted lights into your bar. You could utilize the traditional Japanese lantern on your Izakaya, however, you could also incorporate more Western lighting forms such as neon lighting. Remember that this is still a bar, so you should use bar-like elements such as neon signs.

However, if you are going to use neon lights, you should invest in top-quality ones. While neon lights could get somewhat expensive, you could still invest in Gindestar. It is a custom neon

light company that specializes in selling top-quality neon lights at the best prices possible. Aside from neon lights, you could also use bamboo lanterns to improve the overall aesthetic.

7. Invest In Quality Liquor

As a rule, it is very important that you invest in quality liquor. Remember that Izakayas are predominantly bars and Japanese bars at that.  It is important that you serve Japanese beer and saki. You could also store other types of liquor, however, authenticity should be your main goal so you should invest in a variety of Japanese alcoholic drinks.

Conclusion

If you are going to establish your very own Izakaya restaurant, you should remember that visitors want it to be as authentic as possible. This Japanese mainstay in bar culture is a much-beloved concept, and it is important that you get all the subtle details down pat. Luckily, with this short guide, you will be able to run a truly authentic Izakaya restaurant.