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Instill pride to strengthen team
At the helm of a food and beverage giant, Yusuke Nakazawa creates trust and confidence in his employees, who he sees as partners that help spur the business
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t the helm of a food and beverage giant, Yusuke Nakazawa creates trust and confidence in his employees, who he sees as partners that help spur the business.
Employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction relate to one another, according to Yusuke Nakazawa, chief operating officer of eatwalk, a Japan-based company that operates dozens of restaurants under the brands AWkitchen and Yasaiyamei.
Nakazawa is well aware of the importance of customer satisfaction in the food and beverage business. This is where maintaining and continually improving the quality of products and services plays a vital role to boost customer satisfaction.
'One way to achieve this is by means of building employee satisfaction. A company should treat everyone on the payroll as an extended member of a professional family,' he said at the grand opening of PASTA HOUSE AWkitchen at Plaza Senayan, Jakarta, in September.
'This way, the company will create a home-like ambience, which will pave the way for employee loyalty. And the loyalty is what makes them stay and it can positively contribute to the team's commitment to delivering its best.'
Founded by famous Japanese chef Akira Watanabe, who incorporates his initials AW into the brand, AWkitchen has won the hearts of foodies and has nine outlets in major cities across Japan. The Jakarta opening is its first international branch.
Nakazawa, 36, said the success of AWkitchen, as like with other brands under the eatwalk umbrella, was due to the ability of the company to foster a sense of pride among its employees.
'Taking pride in your work will boost your confidence in the products sold and services delivered. In a food and beverage business, this will lead to customer appreciation, which in turn promotes customer satisfaction,' he said.
High confidence in employees is also what helps to build corporate brand awareness, he added.
In an effort to increase brand awareness, Nakazawa emphasizes the importance of building customer experiences.
'It's a management strategy that often takes innovation to succeed. Just like what chef Watanabe has done with his innovative creations of vegetable-based pastas. Incorporating Japanese ingredients into Italian dishes indeed creates a one-of-a-kind culinary experience,' he said.
'As with Yasaiyamei, we focus on delivering vegetarian [meals] and our team has a strong belief in the brand's strength in serving various healthy dishes,' he further said.
Essence of collaboration
As an umbrella company for different brands and restaurants, finding the right partners is crucial for eatwalk to develop its business.
'Having the same vision is the key here. We greatly value chef Watanabe as one of our brand partners and PT Jaddi Foods as the local partner that manages the Jakarta outlet. We can do so little alone but we can do so much together,' Nakazawa asserted.
His assertion is based on his management style, which he explains involves empowering employees through collaboration with local farmers.
'We don't have our own farmers. We have contracts with a couple of food producers. Once a month, we have a one-day farm tour. Having the employees directly get down to the farming site will help them gain more knowledge and learn about identifying fresh produce and vegetables.'
He extends the essence of collaboration to employee relationships. As human resources are often regarded as the greatest asset in a company, Nakazawa treats staff as partners in achieving sustainable business growth. 'You should make your employees be proud of the business where they work. Let them share their visions, so we as a team can grow together while the business reaches greater heights.'
At the helm of eatwalk's daily operations, Nakazawa emphasizes the importance of vision as one of three crucial points in his leadership style. A business leader should have a good business plan and be able to envision the company's long-term objectives.
'And to achieve the objectives, you have to trust your people. Trust is what builds the employees' confidence and later instills in them a sense of pride in the company where they work.'
The last point is simply good luck.
'Any team members with outstanding performance will give a fair share of good luck to that particular organization. In the business, such a strong team has the potential to generate business fortune.' (Aulia R. Sungkar)
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Yusuke Nakazawa
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Place and date of birth
Tokyo, Jan. 2, 1978
Experience
Chief operating officer of eatwalk since May 2013, he previously held various positions in the company, from manager to supervisor (2004-2013).
Education
Bachelor's degree in management, University of Tokyo (2000).
At Ease
Reading role model
Kazuo Inamori is on the top of the list of my leadership role models. I like reading books on leadership, and Inamori's story really fascinates me. When he was the CEO of Japan Airlines, the company almost went bankrupt. But in less than three years, he managed to restructure the company, eventually leading it to be relisted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Sports as a hobby
I treat sports as my hobby to complement my enjoyment of what life has to offer. I run three times a week. I'm not an early bird, so I find running outside at night after work suits me best. I also joined a basketball team, and try to squeeze in time to practice with the team at least once a month. And once in a while, I play golf with my friends. It's a great sport that combines challenge and relaxation.
Wine and beer enthusiast
I love drinking wine and beer. It's one way to appreciate the art of living. I like to drink white wine during late spring, summer and early fall. Once the weather gets colder, especially in winter, I prefer red wine. As for beer, Sapporo is my favorite for its heavy taste. I like to chill out at bars in the Ginza area. There are many bars with nice settings and great collections of wine and beer.
