Reeling from episodes of “sushi terrorism” in which customers allegedly licked off dishes intended for others on a conveyor belt, Japanese restaurants have tried to take their concept virtually to regain the public’s trust.
Customers of the Japanese restaurant chain Sushiro can enjoy their sushi “in peace and quiet,” the chain’s parent company, Akindo Sushiro Co., promised in a press release on Tuesday, launching in three initial restaurants in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, as CNN reported on Thursday reported.
The sushi restaurant chain has decided to replace its traditional, accessible-to-everyone sushi conveyor belts with a digital experience, instead offering scrolling sushi on a touchscreen. Once selected, the sushi is sent directly from the kitchen to the table via a separate conveyor belt.
According to the company, this method would still allow “the pleasure of seeing the ribbons and being able to choose sushi” to be maintained without fear for the safety of the products, the American media stated.
But this more modern approach is far from unanimous among customers, who fear losing the convenience that comes with simply reaching for their meal without waiting.
“If it’s only digital, you have to ask for it before the product arrives, so it’s less convenient,” one of the regulars, Hideki, said, according to CNN.
Traditional “Kaiten” restaurants, which offer customers the opportunity to choose their meals from dishes presented in front of them, have been undermined after teenagers filmed themselves having fun with food intended for others.
This type of crime, dubbed “sushi terrorism,” led to the arrest of five people in two separate cases, according to CNN.
According to the company, the release of a video at one of its offices resulted in losses equivalent to nearly $150 million.