Sukiya, Japan’s largest beef bowl chain, announced the temporary closure of nearly 2,000 domestic stores after two incidents of mice and insects being discovered in its food.
In a statement posted on its website on March 29th, Sukiya said the first incident occurred after a customer found a mouse in a bowl of miso soup at a branch in western Japan in January. On Friday of last week, another store in the suburbs of Tokyo was found to have served food that contained insects.
A Sukiya restaurant in Japan. Photo: Reuters
Zensho Holdings, the corporation that owns the Sukiya chain, issued an apology last weekend. Zensho’s stock price fell by up to 7% in Monday’s trading session after the first incident was announced.
“This incident is severe, and we sincerely apologize to our customers,” a Sukiya representative said.
The temporary suspension of operations is a step for Sukiya to implement measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring. Some stores in shopping malls will continue to remain open.
As of the end of 2024, Sukiya operated 1,965 stores in Japan, surpassing Yoshinoya (1,250 stores) and Matsuya (1,100). Beyond Japan, this chain boasts approximately 650 stores in China, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
According to Reuters