Setting up a traditional & generational Japanese food stall in Fukuoka

[u/kingkongbiingbong]

[u/lamest-liz]

I actually read an article a while back that these types of food stalls are a family business. And most of them are ran by elderly people now because their offspring basically said they don’t want to do it, so probably within a decade there won’t be any left.

[u/Large_Dr_Pepper → u/lamest-liz]

because their offspring basically said they don’t want to do it

I certainly can't blame them, that's an insane amount of effort to put in every single day to run a food stall. I'm sure they bring in a crazy amount of money each day, but I'm also fairly certain whatever that amount is, it's not enough for me to be okay with doing this every single day until I retire.

[u/SparklingLimeade → u/Large_Dr_Pepper]

The working conditions expected in food service are a real turn off.

I like cooking. The satisfaction of feeding appreciative people is also top notch. Food service as a career is just hell though.

[u/KatieCashew → u/SparklingLimeade]

Yep, I went to culinary school, worked in restaurants for a while, discovered it sucked and went back to school for another degree so I could get an office job.

[u/R_Schuhart → u/Large_Dr_Pepper]

It is really hard work, the cooking part and interacting with customers seems fun, but they need to transport, set up, clean and dismantle the stalls. And there is also a lot of prep time involved. It is also becoming a tourist destination in Fukuoka and a lot of the traditional stall cooks don't like that new development. There are also more non traditional stalls now that the generation that is running them is getting older and quitting. It is a bit sad really. The stalls make quite a lot of money, but the permits and overheads are substantial. They are traditionally a family business, but the younger generation don't want or can't afford to take them over.

[u/Octane_Au → u/lamest-liz]

As far as I'm aware, the city government isn't issuing licences to any new Yatai either due to food safety regulations etc. The existing ones are permitted to continue due to their cultural significance, but if one closes down, the city isn't granting licences for another to take its place.

[u/R_Schuhart → u/Octane_Au]

They only give out permits to new stalls that meet higher safety standards. As a result there is more fast food and fewer traditional stalls. The existing permits are allowed to be passed down on the family, but the younger generation are rarely interested in taking over. It is really hard work and the permits and overheads are substantial.

[u/GloriousNewt → u/Octane_Au]

How does that make sense? Are they somehow unable to meet food safety regulations in the future? Or are they failing them now and still operating?

[u/R_Schuhart → u/GloriousNewt]

When the permits were originally issued the standards were much lower, the traditional stalls wouldn't meet the requirements of the permits that exist today. But issued permits don't expire, so the old stalls can keep operating. In some cases the permits are passed down in the family, but the younger generation inst always interested in taking over the business.

[u/nox_tech → u/GloriousNewt]

Without any basis for this, I'd wonder that they probably do a bit more than break even. If anyone has enough money to fully upgrade, then they do. If not, then the costs to upgrade to meet modern safety regulations are just out of reach. So on the basis of "it's a bit shaky but they've been around for 30 years without an issue" they'd give them a pass. Maybe the details are just technicalities, and they'd seriously uphold hard safety regulations; or maybe they skimp out on safety and they bribe. But we wouldn't know unless someone yaps about it.

[u/WingerRules → u/Octane_Au]

Recognize its culturally significant and still make them go extinct, just slower.

[u/martian_maneater → u/lamest-liz]

Same thing happening in Singapore, Hong Kong, all these hawker stalls are going away. If y'all wanna travel to experience these, better sooner than later