Watami
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|
 The Watami headquarters | |
Native name | ワタミ株式会社 |
|---|---|
| Company type | Kabushiki gaisha |
| Industry | Food service |
| Founded | 1984(start business) 1986(The current company legal person is established) |
| Founder | Miki Watanabe |
| Headquarters | 〒144-0043 1-1-3, Haneda Ota City Tokyo Japan |
Watami is a Japanese business group known for its izakaya restaurants.
History[edit]
Miki Watanabe first opened an izakaya restaurant under the Tsubohachi franchise in 1984. In 1986, he established the Watami Co. Ltd. Watanabe then operated the izakaya under the Watami brand name in 1992, with the concept of "family izakaya" instead of "pub izakaya", and converted the Tsubohachi branches under his operation into Watami branches. In 2007, Watami had about 625 outlets under nine izakaya and restaurant brands globally.[1]
Watami is also involved in other businesses such as farming and eldercare. In 2002, it set up Watami Farming to provide its restaurants with organic vegetables at low cost as the market price of organic vegetables were eating into its profit margin.[1] It established its healthcare interest in 2004 and by 2007, Watami ran 25 nursing homes.[2]
Mina Mori, a 26-year-old employee of its namesake restaurant chain, committed suicide[3] two months after joining the company in 2008. Her family lodged a complaint with the Yokosuka Labor Standards Office to seek recognition of the suicide as work-related. When their claim was denied, they appealed it to the Kanagawa Prefectural Labor Bureau, which recognized work-related stress as the cause of the decline of her mental health.[4][5] In December 2015, Watami reached an out-of-court settlement of 130 million yen with the family, and Watami founder Miki Watanabe apologized.[6] The Watami group has faced criticism as a "black company" for its harsh treatment of employees,[7] and was voted the worst company in Japan to work for in 2012 and 2013.[8]
In 2020, it exited from China due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and returned to the market in 2021.[9][10]
At the end of 2023, it announced that it would be acquiring Singapore-based Leader Food and two related companies, Leader Food Industries and Premium Seafood Supplies, in its first overseas acquisition for S$9.2 million in exchange of 80% stakes in the three companies, to augment its international supply chain.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Watami empire built on concept of family 'izakaya'". The Japan Times. 29 December 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Watami says wants Comsn nursing homes, shares jump". Reuters. 10 August 2007.
- ^ Vice Japan's Suicidal Salarymen are dying for work Archived 26 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Japan Press Weekly Izakaya restaurant chain worker’s suicide recognized as work-related February 22-28, 2012 Archived 3 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Japan Times Watami under scrutiny after karōshi June 17, 2012 Archived 23 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Pub chain Watami, founder settle suit over suicide of overworked staffer December 9, 2015 Japan Times Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Schreiber, Mark (13 July 2013). "'Black' business tales cast shadow on candidate". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "'Black Corporation' Award winner for worst working conditions will run in summer election on LDP ticket". Japan Press Weekly - - japan-press.co.jp. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ Ando, Ritsuko (5 February 2020). "Japan pub chain Watami to exit China, fears prolonged virus impact". Reuters.
- ^ "Japan eatery chain Watami returns to China for taste of recovery". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Japanese restaurant group Watami to buy Singapore's Leader Food". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 12 February 2024.