Japanese Beef’s (amazingly long) history of Ginia

You can imagine going back to the Meiji era, in a carriage and Machia Townhouse, did you find Yoshinoya?

It is one of the largest fast food chains in Japan and is well-known for its Gitton Beef bowl and lightning service. Even in the early hours of the morning, you can count on this as a reliable and comfortable location. For this, it won the hearts of visitors and locals.

Named after the hometown of founder Eikichi Matsuda – Yoshino in Osaka Prefecture – Chinese characters Yoshi (luck), No (field) and of (House) Come together to find this iconic brand. As of March this year, there were domestic Yoshinoya locations and 989 international restaurants in 10 countries.

Although Yoshinoya is known for its signature thin beef bowl with onion, its menu has been greatly expanded over the years to serve Japanese curry, salad dishes, Karachi (fried chicken), Budardon (pork), Sukiyaki (hot pot), even Unadon (Grilled Eel) Among other seasonal favorites.

This year, Yoshinoya – commonly known as nickname Yoshigyu – Celebrating its 126th anniversary.

In 1959, it was located in Tsukiji restaurant in Yoshinoya.

125 years Yoshigyu

Yoshinoya was founded in 1899 in the Nihonbashi community in Tokyo, where a small family-run Gyudon store opened to service staff in the fishing industry. They are usually too busy to sit in the restaurant correctly but are still eager for a satisfying meal. The recipes from Meiji era look very different from their modern counterparts, with bamboo buds added, konnyaku Noodles and tofu barbecue.

In Yoshinoya, fishermen can sit on bar-like counters, place orders and receive bowls quickly, and can easily scarves even between busy schedules. Even today, this business model still exists, and Yoshinoya’s system offers options for busy office workers and students.

After the Great Canto earthquake that destroyed the original shop in 1923, Yoshinoya moved with a severely damaged fish market from Nihonbashi to Tsukiji. The new Shin-Ohohashi Street store opened in 1926 and enthusiastically saved the fishermen. To continue to commemorate the origins of the store, Yoshinoya Holding’s headquarters is still sitting on Nihonbashi on the banks of the Sumida River.

Expand the Beef Bowl Empire

The restaurant was burned again due to a major power airstrike in 1945. But even in war and food shortages, Yoshinoya insists on the mission of “providing energy to those involved in market reconstruction.”

The founder’s son Mizuho Matsuda took over management in 1947. In 1952, the store tried 24-hour business, the first restaurant of its kind in Japan. It uses the slogan of “fast, delicious, cheap” to represent its core value.

In 1968, the second Yoshinoya store opened in Shimbashi and was followed by Kanda’s location a year later. Today, Yoshinoya appears in all 47 prefectures in Japan. Yoshinoya Holdings is also the parent company of Hanamaru Udon, another popular fast-service chain that serves Sanuki-style Udon and Tempura.

The first Yoshinoya location in the United States was opened in Denver, Colorado in 1975.

In 1975, Yoshigyu finally went abroad and opened his first international restaurant in Denver, Colorado under the name “Beef Bowl”. The American Yoshinoya menu looks completely different from its Japanese counterparts, with products localized to the U.S. markets such as Teriyaki chicken, barbecue meatballs, grilled tilapia and Habanero chicken.

However, the Gitton Empire was almost overthrown. Due to rapid expansion, customers noticed a decline in quality and filed for bankruptcy in 1980. The company realized the need to make complete changes to win the trust of its customers. It decided to close unprofitable stores, get rid of freeze-dried meat, and make a thorough reconstruction in management and cooking.

Since then, Yoshinoya has become an idol of Japanese fast food and even collaborated with popular culture giants, e.g. Pokémon, Kirby and Jujutsu Kaisen.

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