TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — On a recent weekday afternoon, the hallway adjacent to the newly arrived yakitori chain Torikizoku, the latest Japanese franchise to enter Taipei, was packed with customers two hours before the start of afternoon service. 

After opening to the public on Monday (Sept.15), the number of diners has been so overwhelming the restaurant stopped in-person registration via QR code at 5 p.m. each day this week. This is despite the restaurant's official closing time during the week being 9:30 p.m.

“We can accommodate 100 diners in 90 minutes. That is the reason we had to turn many people away during the first few days of opening,” said Leon Lin, Torikizoku marketing manager.

The large turnout can be explained by the yakitori chain's commitment to offering an authentic Japanese dining experience at a low cost. For example, each skewer of chicken or beef is priced at NT$100 (US$3.12) with similar pricing for side dishes like edame and unlimited servings of raw cabbage. 

Drinks are also low priced, both for draft beer and “mega-sized” hi-balls made with either Jim Beam or shochu. The pairing of salty barbecue foods and abundant alcohol is a sure-fire recipe for off-work business executives and young people. 

“This is our first Torikizoku restaurant in Taiwan. It is also the first overseas branch of this restaurant which began in Osaka in 1985, and currently has 650 outlets in Japan." 

So far, the only promotion for the soft opening of this restaurant has been via social media such as Facebook and Instagram. The restaurant also cooperated with a few Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) who were invited to eat free each day before the restaurant opened to the public, though they did not receive financial compensation. 

While the restaurant's opening week has been hectic, the planning and preparation to bring this franchise to Taipei has been methodical and about a year in the making. “In February we had a press conference announcing the joint venture between our company and Torikizoku, and by the third quarter we had plans to open the first restaurant.” 

As a matter of fact, Lin said it was accidental that the restaurant that serves barbecue skewers opened during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time when many families host their own DIY barbecue activities. Lin was unsure if the popularity of barbecue during this time of year helps or hurts the franchise.

"We want to open another two to three restaurants in Taipei later this year, and we have a goal of running five restaurants next year. Later, we will consider opening branches in other areas like Taichung.”

One impetus for opening more restaurants is that the Taiwan partner is Great Wall Group, the company operating Taiwan’s largest poultry producer, DaChan. All of the chicken supplied to this restaurant is provided by DaChan and arrives fresh and from Tainan farms within 36 hours.

While the main product is locally sourced, the seasonings such as teriyaki sauce and cooking processes have been imported. “All of our sauces and at the outset, our chefs, all came from Japan to teach local staff how to prepare the food,” said Lin.

This ensures the food served at the restaurant meets Japanese standards in terms of taste, appearance, and service efficiency. For example, when ordering from a tableside tablet, diners can only order five items at a time, to ensure the chefs in the kitchen have enough time to cook and serve each order.

Lin’s company is no newcomer to the dining industry as it already operates nine restaurant franchises including the popular Japanese tonkatsu chain, Saboten. This joint venture partnership is celebrating 18 years, and has led the way to cooperation with other dining options.

“We have found that many people in Taiwan are very receptive to Japanese food. Items like ramen and sushi are very popular, and we hope the same will be true with yakitori,” said Lin. 

Torikizoku is located on the fifth floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store, Zhongshan District, Nanjing West Road No. 12. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday). At the moment, the restaurant does not take reservations as diners are asked to line up in person and scan a QR code to register for a table. 

For more information, please visit the restaurant's website, or their Facebook page.