Takashi Sato, President and CEO of Sukesan Co., Ltd.

Continually evolving while protecting what is important

Sukesan Co., Ltd. President and CEO　Takashi Sato(Takafumi Sato)

■ Profile

Originally from Hiroshima Prefecture, he graduated from the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University in 1997. After working at Sony Corporation and the Boston Consulting Group, he joined Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. in 2006. He promoted change by successively serving in positions of responsibility for management reform, human resources, store operations, and the CEO's office. In March 2018, he was appointed Representative Director and President of Susan Co., Ltd., operator of Kitakyushu's soul food restaurant, Susan Udon, and is leading the company's second founding.

Sukesan Udon is an immensely popular udon chain that was founded in Kitakyushu in 1976. It currently operates 64 stores across Kyushu, Yamaguchi, and Okayama, and is planning to open its first Kansai store in Osaka City in November. Guided by its management philosophy of "Full of happiness," the chain is constantly striving to improve its flavor and continue to evolve. Sukesan Udon is so beloved by many people that it has even been dubbed "Kitakyushu's soul food." We spoke to Takashi Sato, president of Sukesan Co., Ltd., the company that operates the chain, about his career and the appeal of Sukesan Udon.

I spent my childhood in Hiroshima and attended Keio Gijuku Junior High School. I then advanced to Keio Gijuku High School and then to the then newly established Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University. At university, I was absorbed in American football, which I had started in high school, until an injury in my second year forced me to retire early, and in the latter half of my university life I was absorbed in seminar activities, but I also had a variety of part-time jobs. I worked in sales at a human resources company, moved, worked at a certain broadcasting station, and tried all sorts of things (laughs). I feel that these varied experiences have been useful in my later work.
At the time, my experience playing American football had sparked my interest in team strategy and organizational development, and I was enrolled in a seminar on organizational and human resource theory. One project involved me working with someone from Sony. As I listened to him speak, his eyes lit up as he spoke. He spoke with such passion, "I want to change the world through my work at Sony." This sparked my interest, and I decided to join Sony after graduating from university. I remember each day being incredibly fun and stimulating, taking on a variety of challenges in a transformative era as the internet began to take off. However, I began to wonder if I was living up to expectations, and I began to yearn for further growth in an environment where I could study while working. After four years at Sony, I decided I wanted to become a person who could contribute more to society, so I joined the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). My six years working with outstanding clients and colleagues from top companies on a global stage were incredibly rewarding, and I believe they also contributed to my personal growth. While working at BCG, I began to wonder if Japan could regain the momentum it once held as a driving force for the global economy. I then decided that I wanted to use what I had experienced and learned to commit to a Japanese company and contribute to Japan's growth. I went to talk to Mr. Yanai at Fast Retailing about this feeling, and he recognized my enthusiasm, so I started working at Fast Retailing. Over the next 10 years, I was able to work in a variety of different jobs.
During my time at Uniqlo, I had the opportunity to go on a business trip to Kyushu, where a colleague told me about some delicious udon, so I went to try it at Susan Udon. This was my first encounter with Susan Udon. I still remember being amazed at how delicious udon could be! Not only was the udon delicious, but the other menu items were also delicious. The restaurant was filled with energy and warmth, and the flavors and atmosphere were unlike anything I had ever tasted before, making it very appealing. I was very happy when I was asked if I would like to become the manager of Susan Udon. The appeal of this udon is a Japanese treasure, and I wanted more people to know about this treasure.

■Continuing to protect the beloved "Susan Udon"

"Sukesan Udon" is the soul food of Kitakyushu, and is truly loved by many customers. A new word has even been coined to describe going to eat Sukesan Udon: "sukeru" (to go and eat Sukesan Udon) (laughs). Both employees and customers have a deep affection for the restaurant. My desire to bring smiles to the faces of everyone involved with Sukesan Udon is what motivates me to work hard at my job.
To get more customers to fall in love with Suisan Udon on a deeper level, it's important to understand what our customers are saying. We listen to the customer feedback we receive daily at our stores and headquarters, as well as on social media. When we open a new store, we also make it a point to be there and listen to their thoughts directly. Furthermore, in July of this year, we held our first "fan meeting" as a new initiative, providing a forum for direct communication with our customers. We hope to use the honest feedback we receive from our customers in our product development and store operations. We also value listening to the voices of our employees, not just our customers. We regularly ask about their reasons for working, what they find appealing about Suisan Udon, and their concerns, and are always mindful of whether we can incorporate these ideas into our work. Understanding what everyone is thinking may be the key to truly understanding why our products are so beloved.
The founder continued to focus on the flavor and menu in order to please customers, and as a result of meeting their expectations, the current flavor and atmosphere have been created. The menu now has more than 100 items. A lot of care has gone into the preparation of the udon noodles that have been loved for so long. The broth has a strong flavor that allows you to taste the umami of ingredients such as mackerel flakes, kelp, and shiitake mushrooms, and the noodles have a smooth surface and a chewy texture inside, which I think is a unique feature. In addition to udon, Susan Udon is also known for its katsu-toji donburi and botamochi.
As we move forward with expanding our store network to areas outside of Kyushu, we place great importance on our management philosophy to ensure that our commitment to our products and flavor remains consistent and that the passion we have had since our founding does not fade. As long as everyone shares the same core values ​​and works to embody our management philosophy, I believe that even if our store locations expand and there are more employees who do not know our history and origins since our founding, we will be able to continue to be "Sukensan Udon" and further evolve the traditions we have cultivated up to now. We want to continue to evolve so that we can meet the changing times and needs while preserving what is important.
Our future goal is to change from "Kitakyushu's Susan Udon" to "Kyushu's Susan Udon" and eventually to "Japan's Susan Udon." To achieve this, we will steadily expand our area, little by little. We aim to deliver our proud flavor to as many customers as possible and become an udon chain loved by many customers.

■Message to students

Take on as many challenges as you can that you can only do now. There's no need to stretch yourself too far. Working hard at what you can do in your current environment will definitely lead to a bright future, and someone is watching what you do with all your effort. If you give it your all every day, you will get results. Be the kind of person who can grab an opportunity when it comes. Seizing that opportunity will lead to great personal growth.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 17, 2023 by Rikkyo University fourth-year student Narina Ogata