Media tasting event draws huge buzz! What makes the burger shop “GENKAI BURGER,” fully run by vocational students—from cooking to customer service—so appealing?
I am Yoshino from PR Division Headquarters, Department 1, and I find myself wanting to eat junk food regularly—and I actually do.
When you think of junk food, what comes to mind? Surely the classic is the hamburger, isn’t it? Although it originated overseas, hamburgers are also widely loved in Japan—and a new revolution has now arrived.
A burger shop that sells hamburgers made only with premium ingredients opened this January in Nakameguro, Tokyo. Its name is “GENKAI BURGER.”
What makes it revolutionary is that nearly all items—including the main product, the “Kobe Beef ‘GENKAI’ Cheeseburger”—are sold at close to cost. The word “GENKAI” in the name literally means “pushing the limit,” referring to “prices pushed to the absolute limit.”
A hamburger made only with luxury ingredients—such as a 100% top-grade Kobe beef patty, Tibetan black truffles, and Tosa Jiro eggs from Kochi Prefecture—costs an astonishing 990 yen. Since restaurants typically price items at about three times their cost, the “Kobe Beef ‘GENKAI’ Cheeseburger” would normally be sold for around 3,000 yen.
The reason they can offer it at nearly cost is that the shop is actually operated by students (hereafter, “members”) of the confectionery, café, and culinary vocational school “Le Cordon Vantan.”
As part of their coursework, students handle everything involved in operations, including menu development, cooking, and customer service. In addition, because the shop is located on the school grounds and therefore incurs no rent, the products can be offered at nearly cost.
At a media tasting event held two days before the opening, many attendees were astonished, saying, “I can’t believe you can eat this for 990 yen!” When the mechanism was explained, everyone was highly impressed.
The school’s desire for members—who dream of working in the food and beverage industry—to gain hands-on experience while still students and to learn in ways different from regular classes also resonated with the media. On the day of the tasting event, around 30 people attended, and the response was so strong that a TV crew even conducted an in-depth feature.
What is a media tasting event…
An event in which restaurants and food/beverage brands invite members of the media, influencers, and others to provide opportunities to sample and taste new products in celebration of their launch.
*The tasting event was, of course, held with thorough infection-prevention measures and social distancing in place.
Supporting the school’s vision is Shusaku Toba, chef of the restaurant “sio,” which has earned Michelin Guide Tokyo stars for two consecutive years.
This time, Chef Toba was involved from the menu development stage together with the members. By incorporating his concept of “5 tastes + 1” (the idea that adding spiciness, texture, and aroma to the five basic tastes creates a multidimensional dish with depth), an unprecedented hamburger was born.
Being able to interact with a chef from a Michelin-starred restaurant while still a student and learn so many things is an extremely valuable experience. I believe it will serve as a foundation for the members going forward.
Please be sure to visit “GENKAI BURGER,” the shop run by future chefs who will likely thrive in the food and beverage industry, and see for yourself!
Click here for examples of SUNNY SIDE UP’s track record in “Food & Dining”
https://www.ssu.co.jp/works/category/industry/food/
■Store Overview
Hours: 11:00–17:00 (L.O. 16:30)
Open days: Saturdays and Sundays only / until Sunday, March 27 *Closed on Saturday, February 12
Saturdays only / from Saturday, April 2 onward
Location: Le Cordon Vantan Tokyo School, Rêve Building (1-3-3 Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo)
Website: https://www.lecole.jp/genkai/burger
Instagram: @genkai_burger
Twitter: @GENKAIBURGER
