It was exactly four years ago that I went to see America before starting EARLYBIRDS. That was when I was overwhelmingly shocked by the bicycle culture at "NAHBS." Thinking vaguely about starting a shop, I went to see the "food scene" in America with my own eyes to turn that imagination into reality. When we started, I was the only staff member fully involved in the food and beverage side (though, of course, I had plenty of support). Four years have passed since then. Thankfully, we have since opened a second shop called PINE FIELDS MARKET, and our food and beverage team has grown to include five friends.
Reaching the milestone of three years—my initial goal—and having a clear vision for the next few years, I wanted to experience the cities I visited four years ago—Sacramento, San Francisco, and Portland—together with my team to move further ahead. For this trip, EARLYBIRDS took an extended break so that our food and beverage team of three—myself, Mattsun, and Miyuki-chan—could go.
I wanted to experience what I felt four years ago, along with my colleagues, and see how American food culture has developed today. We went to share that experience and bring back as many ideas and hints as possible to apply to community building back in Nagoya.
Including the shops we planned to research and the ones we stumbled upon, I think we visited about 30 places over the course of five days. Haha. Maybe even more...
No matter which shop we went to, the waiters and chefs worked in their own style, were filled with self-confidence, cared deeply for their shops, and provided the absolute best "service" to the people gathering there.
"Service" is an intangible good that does not leave a physical item behind after a transaction, but instead provides utility or satisfaction. (From Wikipedia)
Convenience stores, ramen shops, bakeries, cafes... etc. There are many forms of dining, and people demand a level of "service" commensurate with the price. Some people are unhappy if they don't get high-end hotel-style service even at a convenience store. The essence of "service" is becoming increasingly diversified, and as a result, people are often tossed about and exhausted by it, leading to mechanical, soulless manualized work.
The people seen here all deeply understand what service is, providing those intangible goods to the people gathering there. I feel they have a central axis of service within themselves and as a team. I myself have been working in the service industry for over ten years. I’ve worked in various places, carrying different questions and problems, and have repeatedly tried to solve them one by one. Even then, there were things I couldn't solve and vague frustrations that remained in my heart.
When I first visited America four years ago, I went around to many exciting shops, ate meals, talked with friends, drank coffee, and drank beer. In that journey, the questions I had—that indescribable feeling of "What is service?"—seemed to be solved just a little bit. I saw people swaying to the music playing in the shops, staff and customers smiling at each other, and I thought that they must be truly committed to their work. It makes you feel pleasant and happy. And above all, they enjoyed working. Of course, I can't really speak the language well, I was only visiting these places once, and maybe I just wanted to believe that because of my own star-struck feelings. Haha. I also understand that there are plenty of shops like that in Japan if you look hard enough. But for me personally, it felt like a tangled thread had been unraveled.
I’ve made a decision regarding how I want to work from now on and the career I want to dedicate my life to.
On this trip, we revisited most of the shops from last time and also visited many new places that caught our interest. Seeing the cityscapes again, they had evolved further, and people were endlessly gathering at the shops—both tourists and locals. And as always, the staff provided the best "service." They understood the shop's stance and direction, and acted with a clear understanding of the boundaries of what they should do. I’ve been thinking about what I felt four years ago and applying it to my own shop in my own way.
Precisely because I only understand a little of the language, it’s really fun to travel while making an effort to sharpen my five senses and read the atmosphere of a shop.
And naturally, the food at shops where you can feel that kind of service is delicious, and the vibrant meals naturally made us smile too.
Meals that make full use of locally sourced ingredients, packed with ideas and technique. I could even feel the style in a shop with a simple menu of house-made bread with house-made jam.
So many shops pay attention to every detail, from the exterior to the interior. I even heard stories of how a single restaurant changed the vibe of a whole neighborhood, turning it into an interesting street in the blink of an eye.
The city has breakfast spots open from 6 a.m., places to drink plenty of beer in the middle of the day, restaurants open only from evening to night, and bars open until late at night. At any hour, there are many wonderful shops that color the city.
We are still a small eatery that seats only about ten people, but I want us to be an important "place for people to gather" in the city. If more staff members who resonate with our actions join us, and we can do more and more, I’m sure we can create the kind of scenery I saw in those American cities. It will take time, but we’ll keep our goals high.
Another thing that was overwhelmingly different from four years ago is that I now have many friends in these cities in California and Oregon. No matter which city I went to, there were so many people who would "SAY HELLO." Through the communities of CIRCLES, SIMWORKS, and EARLYBIRDS, and through the tool of play that is the bicycle, I now have countless friends connected across borders.
At "THE RAMEN SHOP" in Oakland, which I visited for the first time on this trip, I met Gori-san, the owner of "naru Soba" in Hamamatsu. A miraculous encounter in the middle of our trip. He came to America to train in making soba, was apprenticing at this shop, and was there to serve soba to Americans at an event. We were well taken care of by Gori-san and spent a fun night together. In our conversation, the topic of "service"—the theme of this trip—came up. Sharing the sensations we felt in America and talking about his own future vision made me reaffirm that there is still so much I need to do. I have to go greet him in Hamamatsu as soon as I return to Japan.
Everyone fully exercised their "service," giving us something more important than physical goods—something intangible.
They were truly the greatest "masters of play."
Blessed with people and blessed with the weather, only fun times passed by.
Once again, thank you for allowing us to take this extended temporary leave. I will put the experience I learned this time to use in the future, and devote myself to daily improvements to lead to the further growth of our shop.
Regular business hours will resume on Saturday, March 5th, from 7:00 a.m.
Thanks to eating delicious food every single day, I hope to recover quickly from what I gained (fat, and an upset stomach). Haha.
Next time, I'll share a story about food related to Chris King. See you then.
EARLYBIRDS Keita