Takanari Aono, President and CEO of Haidei Hidaka Co., Ltd.

"Keep your dreams and passion alive no matter how old you are"

President and CEO of Haidei Hidaka Co., Ltd.　Takanari Aono(Aono Hiroshige)

■ Profile
Born in 1974 in Ehime Prefecture.
After working part-time at Ramen Hidaka, he joined Haidei Hidaka in 1999.
After serving as a store manager, supervisor, and area manager, he became an executive officer in 2017, and a director and executive officer, head of sales management and information systems, in 2019. He was appointed president and representative director in May 2022.

Haidei Hidaka Co., Ltd. (Main business: Hidakaya, Yakitori Hidaka, etc.) aims to provide delicious food at low prices and help customers have a happy day (Haidei). Representative director and president Takanari Aono continues to take on new challenges, such as proposing and then implementing cashless payment. We spoke to Aono about the appeal of the company and how it is able to offer such low prices.

■The deciding factor for joining the company was the company's growth that I saw during my six years as a part-time employee.

My most memorable experience as a student was working part-time. My first part-time job was at Ramen Hidaka, our 17th restaurant. I had other part-time jobs, but I was able to stick with Ramen Hidaka for six years because, although the work was tough, customers would come to eat without me having to attract them. While many part-time jobs require you to go out and attract customers, at the ramen restaurant where I worked, customers would naturally come when they were hungry. I felt that there was nothing more grateful for. When I was job-hunting, even if I was accepted, the company would sometimes go bankrupt during my training, causing operational difficulties. I didn't know what to trust, so I chose Haidei Hidaka Co., Ltd. The deciding factor in my choice was that I had witnessed the company's growth, from just 20 stores when I started working there to 60 over the course of six years. Even as more and more companies went bankrupt and scaled back their operations, I believed this company would survive for 10 years and continue to grow.

■ Experiences from the field that are still relevant today

Within a year of joining the company, I was promoted to store manager, and steadily gained experience in areas such as area manager and department manager. I believe that the turning point in my becoming president was returning to the field as a store manager. Until then, I had been a "company person" giving instructions to store managers, but on the field, there were problems picked up from customers and opinions from the employees working there. As a store manager, I am in between the "company" and the "field," so when I returned to the field as a store manager, the landscape looked different. I still think it was good that I had that experience.
After I became president, I distributed red and blue opinion cards to my employees on the front lines. When I was in a meeting with about 100 people and I asked them, "What do you think about this? Those who agree, please raise your hand," no one raised their hands. However, when I used the opinion cards and said, "Those who agree, please raise your red card, and those who disagree, please raise your blue card," they all raised their hands. Everyone thought that not expressing their opinions was the way to express their opinions, but I wanted each and every one of them to express their opinions, so I told them to always have them with them when we had meetings or training sessions. I also think that by expressing their opinions, they started to listen more carefully than before.

■Continue to try new things to attract a variety of customers

Haidei Hidaka is a restaurant that caters to a wide range of customers, regardless of age or gender. One of its charms is that it's a place where you can eat and drink. While most restaurants are divided into those primarily focused on food and those primarily focused on drinking, our restaurant offers both, with set meals and ramen during the day and cheap alcoholic beverages in the evening under the title "Choi-nomi" (little drinks). While a restaurant with a traditional "drinks and eats" image often evokes an older man-like image, in 2019 we introduced a smoking ban and a designated smoking room. This marked a turning point, and we began to attract more women, families, and children. We also tried new things, such as introducing touchscreen panels to make it easier for women to order refills. However, changing what we've always done is more difficult than it seems. Introducing cashless payment in 2019 was particularly challenging, as it required a system change. I proposed cashless payment at the board meeting, but many expressed reservations and initially met with opposition. However, as times change and more people start using cashless payments, we thought that these people would stop using our services, so we made numerous presentations to those who were cautious and worked to raise funds rather than just relying on one-sided opinions, and we made it a reality.

■ Haidei Hidaka continues to pursue the "value for money"

The reason Hidakaya can offer affordable prices is because we manufacture our own gyoza and noodles. If we source ingredients like noodles from other manufacturers, the cost of all our products would increase. However, even if the cost of meat or vegetables increases slightly, we can control the overall cost. We also reduce costs by manufacturing exclusively at our existing Gyoda factory. While this is a risk, as any problems there would ruin Hidakaya, ultimately, customers won't be happy unless they feel like they're getting a good deal. The Hidakaya Group strives to keep its minimum torch lower than other companies, constantly striving to make even the smallest bucks cheaper. Beer from the same manufacturer tastes the same no matter where you order it. Our beer, in particular, has a high cost ratio, but we offer it for 350 yen a glass. We believe our prices are significantly lower than others, and customers feel like they're getting a good deal for 350 yen, which is why they drink it.

■ It is important to have the ability to read the times

The world is constantly changing, so I think it's extremely important to read the times. With the unexpected advent of cashless payments, we've entered an era where people can use accumulated points to eat. However, creating a restaurant app and issuing points that can only be used by our company costs money, and even if people have a restaurant app, I think most people just happen to visit the restaurant and use them instead of seeing the app and deciding to go. Instead, I think we need to skillfully integrate systems like Rakuten Points and d Points that can be used anywhere. At Hidakaya, we introduced Rakuten Points in August of last year. More than half of our sales come from customers who have Rakuten Points or d Points, so I think it's improved customer convenience.
We are currently expanding our store network in northern Kanto, from Utsunomiya and Kisarazu to Maebashi, with a particular focus on roadside locations. As we expand into the suburbs, customers often ask, "Why is it so cheap?" or "Why didn't you come earlier?" This has led us to want to expand beyond Kanto. We are also making cup ramen for people in areas where Hidakaya cannot be accessed, and have introduced initiatives to make it available at convenience stores. We are expanding the Hidakaya name, and we are dreaming of moving from our current second place in the industry to becoming number one.

■Message to university students

I urge everyone to join a company where you can talk about your dreams for the future. Our company's Chairman, Kanda, often says, "Dreams are not something you see, but something you talk about." Dreams can't come true if you don't talk about them, and talking about them means taking responsibility. You can keep dreaming forever. I hope you will always cherish your dreams and talk about them. The other thing is passion. It's said that "there is no ability greater than passion," but no matter how smart you are or how many qualifications you have, it's meaningless if you can't put them to use. Don't be a critic who just talks, but become someone who can "take action" with passion. To do this, it's important to work backwards in order to take action. We are living in an era where people can live to be 100 years old, so as long as you have passion, you should be able to do many things no matter how old you are.

Student Newspaper Online December 5, 2024 Interview by Toyo University sophomore Rinno Koshiyama