With the third wave of COVID-19 hitting large metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, and Nagoya, the Japanese government has announced an expanded state of emergency. The state of emergency, originally announced on the 7th, called for food establishments to close down early and limit service hours.
As infection numbers in Tokyo and elsewhere increase, so does the risk of infection, especially when it comes to confined spaces like drinking establishments. According to the Japan Food Service Association, establishments that serve alcohol such as pubs and izakaya were hit the hardest. Profits in April were only 8.6% of the same time period in 2019. March was 10%, a 90% decline, and relatively “stable” establishments like those in the fast-food industry also saw a 20% decline in profits in the same time period.
Even after a significant recovery of sales towards the latter half of the year, pubs and izakaya are still making only 63.7% of the previous year’s profits. Many of these businesses cater to groups of people, such as salary workers going for a few drinks after work, or university students after classes. As such, these businesses are being disproportionately affected, and many are risking bankruptcy. Some have tried to survive by “going virtual”. But not everyone’s been successful with this strategy.
The Singles Shift
This is why many restaurants are shifting towards business models that cater to “Single-person” (お一人様) customers.
The idea itself isn’t new to Japan. Even before the pandemic, there were many “single-customer only” restaurants designed for those coming to eat and drink alone. Magazines dedicated to finding the best spots to eat alone have also been gaining in popularity. “One-person Karaoke” (一人カラオケ) and going to the movies alone, traditionally looked down upon and seen as lonely activities, are becoming more and more common. Gusto, the family restaurant chain owned by Skylark Group, made waves in 2019 after implementing “single-customer” box seats, each fitted with their own electrical outlets and providing a more private space to eat.
Even at home, more and more people are looking for alternatives to enjoy foods that are normally eaten in groups. In a recent survey conducted among people in their 20s and 30s, 52.3% of people said that they are interested in trying out One-person hotpots (ひとり鍋), and 18.5% of those who answered “yes” cited that Coronavirus was the main reason why.
Will It Work?
The benefits are fairly obvious. One of the main vectors of transmission for COVID-19 is through “droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks.” The idea is that, while it would not rule out transmission through coughing and sneezing, the implementation of a “single-customers only” rule would cut down the risk of transmission through speaking. This could allow businesses to stay relatively risk-free while continuing their normal operations.
Many Japanese also seem to echo this sentiment. When asked if businesses should reduce business hours even if they only serve single-person customers, an internet survey of 1600 people found that 42.6% answered “No”. “Since there would be no talking and no microdroplets generated, as long as the businesses are taking proper precautions it should be okay” were one of the reasons given.
On the other hand, 25.9% of people answered that “they weren’t sure”, and 31.4% of people answered “Yes”, saying that “it’s unfair for businesses to discriminate based on how many customers come in, or if they are speaking.” Notably, some people also pointed out that there is “still no guarantee that infections would be prevented.”
While the “single-customer” business model could be a viable solution for many small and mid-sized food establishments, it is not a magical cure-all for the pandemic. And while it may reduce the risk of transmission, the same can be said for proper social distancing combined with regular economic relief for said affected businesses.
