Enpetit Co., Ltd. President and CEO, Kiyoshi Maruo

"Do something fun, not work"

■ Profile
After graduating from Tsuji Gakuen Culinary Arts College, he worked there before going independent. His store management know-how, cultivated on the job, was highly acclaimed and he has revitalized many restaurants. From that experience, he realized the importance of "delicious ≠ sales," and in 2017 he founded Enpetit Co., Ltd., which operates restaurants specializing in marketing. In 2020, he founded 01 Noodle JAPAN, an innovative franchise business, and currently operates 12 stores. In 2022, he also founded ToSee Co., Ltd., which provides financial support, and aims to expand the business.

　Enpetit Co., Ltd. offers "French Ramen," a combination of French cuisine and ramen. Utilizing his experience studying French cuisine during his student days, he is also focusing on creating a space that is welcoming to women. The company's president, Kiyoshi Maruo, has experience running a curry bar and a gyoza restaurant, so why did he choose ramen? We asked him about the journey that led to the restaurant becoming the number one seller at events and festivals.

◾️My student days aspiring to become a chef

During high school, I spent my days working part-time jobs. I tried a lot of different things, including caddying, delivering newspapers, working at a shrine, and working at a pizza place. I get bored easily, so I enjoyed learning the job and then looked for another part-time job once I'd mastered it. After graduating from high school, I enrolled in Tsuji Gakuen Culinary Arts College in Osaka. Realizing that I wouldn't be able to keep up with my academic studies, which I wasn't very good at, I started looking for a field where I could become a top chef, and that's where I ended up becoming a chef. Having studied French cuisine at the college, I decided to pursue a career in Western cuisine and become independent at the age of 30. It was a year filled with the novelty of the world of cooking and the excitement of "it would be amazing to be able to make dishes like this." I continued working at the same school and taught as an instructor. However, at that time, I wanted to immerse myself in cooking and learn more. When I quit my job as an instructor, I moved to Tokyo and hoped to work at a French restaurant I discovered while eating out, but the timing wasn't right, so I ended up working at a shot bar.

◾️Who you do it with is more important than what you do

To learn about alcohol, I worked at a shot bar where customers were attracted by their catches and sales were based on a system where you earned your own sales. Since the number of receipts under your name was a competitive factor, I called out customers more than anyone else. Within two months, I was the top seller in the bar, and by the third month, I was number one in my group. After that, I was given a store that was in the red every month, and I managed to turn seven stores into profits. I had never studied management, so I just gave it a try and checked the results. However, I couldn't see myself working in the same way for 10 years, so I founded Ambiente Co., Ltd. I started a curry bar in a 23-story building owned by Hankyu Railway. Business was strong, but I realized it would be difficult to expand to 100 curry bars, so I decided to open a gyoza restaurant. Izakayas are businesses that "focus on people." In other words, while there are products, customer service, and space, customer service is what the general public values ​​most. However, relying too much on customer service can lead to differences in customer service between stores. So, I decided that "who you work with" is more valuable than "what you do." For this reason, all of Enpetit's current employees are people I have headhunted myself.

◾️French ramen that captivates women

Since I wanted to run a restaurant with over 100 locations, I chose ramen, which has a large market. Ramen is often ranked first or second among the Japanese foods recommended by foreign tourists. From a global perspective, ramen is considered a Japanese food. It's an industry with the highest turnover, with approximately 40% of businesses going out of business annually. At the time, only 20% of customers were women. While many people "quit their jobs" to start a ramen restaurant, French ramen offers a low barrier to entry. So, I invited a friend from vocational school who runs a French restaurant and developed "French ramen," combining French cuisine with ramen. Since seafood is synonymous with Japanese cuisine, I specifically chose sea bream, whose discarded parts can be used to make soup and powder. In 2017, I opened "Tai Shio Soba En." After that, I opened experimental locations, collected data, and refined my menu to ensure a long-term business. Currently, 60% of my clientele is female. I created the most affordable French restaurant in Japan, so that people could enjoy French cuisine more casually.

◾️Taking the ramen business globally

My goal going forward is to bring the system Enpetit has built to developed countries. I want ramen-based businesses to flourish. To achieve this, all employees must be excellent. They need to have a managerial mindset, not an office worker mindset. As I mentioned earlier, I headhunted all of Enpetit's employees, including my school classmates, former customers, and former salespeople. I negotiated with them to ensure their success (laughs). They are all good-natured people, and rather than being "good at their jobs," they are people with a sense of humanity and potential for growth. I believe that one day, when work becomes more difficult, people will demand a work style that utilizes their knowledge and experience rather than just labor. This system is necessary to achieve my goal of "working freely with colleagues." I want to train each employee to be able to run their own business as an entrepreneur. I want our talented employees to expand the ramen business they've established at Enpetit globally.

◾️Message to university students

I think the saying "Hard work always pays off" is half wrong. This is because you need the right goals and the right kind of effort. Blind effort may not pay off. It is said that humans make about 5000 decisions in a single day, so it doesn't matter if your dreams and goals change many times. However, if you can find a core that doesn't waver within that, that is the essence. Everyone is suited to the right job, so if you can find something that you enjoy, you've won. Everyone I consider a genius is simply doing what they love for work and enjoying it. They're not particularly trying hard. They're just doing what they enjoy. If you can reach that level, you can beat any genius; frankly, you're invincible.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on October 25, 2024 by Sophia University third-year student, Himari Shirasaka

Sophia University third-year student Hikaru Shirasaka / Toyo University second-year student Rinno Koshiyama