Is the Harajuku Pancake Boom Over!?
Hello.
I am Yamashita, from the PR department.
Now, today’s topic is pancakes.
The other day, I was watching a TBS program after returning home, and pancakes were introduced as one of the major trends of 2013, alongside Naoki Hanzawa and Professor Hayashi. Pancakes were indeed incredibly popular last year.
It is often said that our company’s brand, bills, was the catalyst for the Harajuku pancake boom, and I feel that the trend has now become firmly established.
(I also love the non-pancake items on the bills menu, so I highly recommend trying those as well…)
But…
Is it just a trend? Has the boom truly become established?
Will the pancake boom continue into 2014?
This thought occurred to me, so I decided to experience the pancake boom for myself.
Come to think of it, I have never tried any famous pancakes other than those at bills…
As a PR professional, this simply will not do!
To experience the pancake boom… I should start by going out to eat!
And so, I set out.
“There probably won’t be many people on a weekday afternoon, so let’s visit a couple of places!”
I enthusiastically invited my senior colleague to join me.
First, we headed to Eggs’n Things near Harajuku Station.
My stomach was ready for those pancakes topped with a mountain of whipped cream!
However, what met my excited eyes was… a line. A line just as long as those seen on weekends.
Apparently, the wait was two to two and a half hours.
I was devastated.
I tried to hide my hunger and maintain the composure of a typical city dweller.
“They are popular after all—just as popular as bills! It can’t be helped! Let’s move on to the next one!”
Next, we went to Cafe Kaila.
I had been curious about this place ever since it first arrived in Japan.
Hmm… even from a distance, I could see a large crowd… Just as I thought.
Another line.
It seemed the wait here was about three hours.
At this point, I was acting out of desperation.
I decided to ignore my original goal of pancakes and visit another trendy spot instead!
We headed to Max Brenner in the nearby Omotesando Hills.
I had been curious about this place too, so I was quite excited as we approached the shop!
Just before reaching the shop, there was a line, and a staff member wearing a Max Brenner apron was standing there.
What, here too…?
A two-hour wait.
No way!
I decided to give up.
In the end, we went to eat galettes. (Laughs)
(A French dish similar to a crepe made with buckwheat flour.)
Seeing the lines in Harajuku once again,
I felt a sense of disconnect with the expressions “the Harajuku pancake boom continues” or “the Harajuku pancake boom has become established.”
A boom… established?
Well, booms eventually come to an end…
A few months ago, an article on Hatena Bookmark about whether the pancake boom was ending became a hot topic.
Curious to see if another trend would follow, I compared search volumes. Even when compared to the currently popular popcorn, pancakes are far ahead. *Blue represents pancakes, yellow represents popcorn.
(A comparison of “Pancakes,” “Eggs Benedict,” “Popcorn,” “Granola,” and “French Toast” on Google Trends since 2004.)
It is true that pancakes have become a major topic and gained popularity over the last few years, leading to those long lines.
However, bills opened in Shichirigahama in 2008 and has remained consistently popular…
In that case,
“The lifestyle (culture) of eating breakfast out has taken root, and pancakes have become a staple choice within that”
seems like a more appropriate description.
*I also feel that the lines at pancake shops in Harajuku are shorter in the evening.
Regarding the work of SUNNY SIDE UP (the power of PR), I felt the following.
SUNNY SIDE UP launched bills in Japan at a time when there was no pancake boom and no culture of eating breakfast out.
It is said that we did more than just make bills successful; we used “PR methods” to spread the brand’s unique characteristics and establish the lifestyle of “eating breakfast out.” Many people became familiar with the bills tagline, “The World’s Best Breakfast.”
Providing new value that eventually becomes a culture? Being able to move people? I was once again moved by the incredible power of PR to achieve such things.
By the way… my favorite menu item at bills is the “Wagyu Burger”!
(I apologize that this has turned into a bit of a self-promotion for our company.)
Perhaps a new lifestyle will soon take hold to replace “asa-katsu” (morning activities) and breakfast.
Next time, I will go on a weekend, wait in every line, and conquer every pancake shop!
That is the vow I have made to myself!
