DD Holdings Co., Ltd. President and Group CEO Atsuhisa Matsumura

Taking on new challenges beyond the boundaries of the food and beverage industry

■ Profile

Born in Kochi Prefecture in 1967. Founder of Diamond Dining Co., Ltd. President of a company listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Kochi Prefecture Tourism Ambassador. Entered the restaurant industry in 2001. Developing unique restaurants filled with entertainment, mainly in Tokyo, in 2010 he became the first in the industry to achieve "100 restaurants in 100 business formats." Since then, he has expanded his business format portfolio to also include amusement and wedding businesses. In September 2017, he transitioned to a holding company structure, established "DD Holdings," and became the group CEO.

DD Holdings has achieved a feat beyond imagination in the restaurant industry: 100 stores, 100 business formats. What was the path to get there? What is their motto? What do they want to achieve next? We spoke to President Matsumura, who is devoting his whole heart and soul to the future, about his enthusiasm.

　I had always dreamed of going to Tokyo, so I went to college with that goal in mind, but ended up in Chiba Prefecture. Outside of classes, my life revolved around part-time work. My part-time job was at Marianne Shokai, the predecessor to Saizeriya. It's no exaggeration to say that my work there has shaped who I am today. The former Saizeriya (Marian Shokai) was more of an Italian restaurant than a family restaurant. Even back then, coffee jelly and meat doria were popular, with the coffee jelly made from leftover coffee made in a beaker, and the meat doria made from leftover rice. This experience taught me about cost cutting, which sparked my interest in the food and beverage industry. Because I was able to do my job well at Saizeriya, my hourly wage steadily increased, and I was even approached about becoming a full-time employee. However, I wanted to see an industry where more money was moving around, so I decided to go into a different industry.
　During my studies, I studied biology, which has nothing to do with my current job. My parents were self-employed, so I always wanted to be independent one day.

■Experiences from other industries are being put to good use in the current business

　After graduating from university, I got a job at Nittaku Enterprises, a company that has discotheques as its mainstay of business. At the time, I wanted to be involved in the entertainment industry, so I took the job, and I learned the importance of PR. However, when the bubble burst and the disco boom began to fade, I began to question whether I wanted to continue working there, so I quit.
　Taking this opportunity, he considered going independent and began working towards opening a restaurant, but he didn't have the necessary funds and couldn't borrow money. So, to save up some money, he decided to open a tanning salon that he often visited. He thought that if he provided the service that other salons neglected, in other words, hospitality, he would be sure to be successful. His prediction proved to be spot on, and he was a huge hit! Soon, he began to see the prospect of opening a restaurant. Then, he visited a haunted house in America, said to be the scariest in the world, and was terrified by ghosts chasing him with real weapons. He was amazed at how much attention to detail had gone into making the place so realistic.
　These experiences led me to want to create a fun restaurant with an "exciting" concept. That's how I ended up opening "VAMPIRE CAFE" in Ginza. This was the starting point and the destination of my restaurant business. Honestly, I never expected it to become this big at the time, but when we opened our 100th store, a venture capitalist approached us and asked if we wanted to go public, and that's when I started thinking about it. The following year, with our 8th store, we set a goal of 100 stores and 100 different formats. We struggled to reach our goal, but when I think about it, it was just a passing phase. Take the Lehman Shock, for example. Our company was affected, but on the other hand, our rivals were on the defensive, which allowed us to take an offensive approach and make great strides. Going public despite the challenges, but achieving "100 stores and 100 different formats" was also a great achievement.

■ Proactively follow up on motivated employees

　The basic principle is to let employees do what they like. Of course, we provide thorough guidance, but we also want to entrust work to those who are working hard. What's important is enthusiasm and perseverance. We want to support motivated employees as much as possible. Because of this policy, there are employees who continue to work here even when they are approached by other companies because they like it. It's truly gratifying to see that.
　We also want employees to have fun not only at work but also with their colleagues, so we have created a "Yosakoi" dance and are participating in a tournament in Kochi.
　New graduates are recruited through a curriculum that includes internships and training camps to ensure they fully understand the philosophy of DD Holdings. This also seems to foster teamwork. Unfortunately, the scale of these programs has recently been reduced due to the effects of COVID-19.

■ I want to work beyond my field

　Our company places great importance on entertainment, so we are positioned a little differently from other companies in the restaurant industry. We are currently considering expanding into other industries, and we are also working on businesses that focus on recreational and sports activities such as darts, table tennis, and billiards. We would like to work with people from different industries, so I think the key word here is "going beyond fields."
　Also, as we develop new businesses, I think it will be important to provide services tailored to the customer base, so gathering information is important. I want to keep my antenna up, listen to the opinions of ordinary people, and be sensitive to what's popular and the latest trends.

■Message

　Being a university student is great. I hope you enjoy campus life, including romance. Living freely is the best. I personally feel that "children grow up even without parents."

Student Newspaper October 2021 Issue by Yuuki Narita, 2nd year student at Saitama University