Sign the Yoshinoya Petition to Make Yoshinoya Great Again

Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, I thought now is a good time as any to be an armchair activist to get Yoshinoya America to do something great, all from the comforts of your home/couch/La-Z-boy.

I love Yoshinoya in Japan, but I very rarely would go to any Yoshinoya in the U.S. because the company has strayed far off from their brand which is why I’m taking my Yoshinoya petition to the people (you).

Why Sign the Yoshinoya Petition

Fortunately, there are people like you who have been to Yoshinoya overseas and love their food, which is why I put together this petition to get Yoshinoya America to open a replica of one of their Japanese based locations here in Little Tokyo or Sawtelle Japantown.

Photo Description: an image of Yoshinoya America and their Asian BBQ meatballs, teriyaki chicken, sweet chili shrimp, original beef, habenero chicken, to their grilled tilapia. — This is the type of menu where if you are Asian, they call you an oriental.

Steak, Shrimp, and Tilapia (yea, you know, the cheap stuff)

Imagine going to a McDonalds in Japan, but instead of burgers, they serve steak and lobster (that is the genius of Yoshinoya America).

Photo Description: an orange and white graphic with the text "HOW IS THIS YOSHINOYA." In smaller text "asian bbq meatballs, teriyaki chicken, sweet chili shrimp, grilled steak, habanero chicken, and grilled tilapia. — This menu has nothing to do with Yoshinoya in Asia (from Japan, Hong Kong, to China)

Sweet Chili Shrimp and Habanero Chicken, as Japanese as Can Be

This is what happens when you have a CEO who has turned the Yoshinoya brand into a Panda Bob’s which is an Asian restaurant that tries to serve a fast food version of steak, fish, shrimp which most people consider expensive.

Photo Description: the Japanese yoshinoya menu, and you can see the pricing in yen, along with curry, and the typical yoshinoya dishes. The text is in uppercase says "THIS IS YOSHINOYA." — There is a huge opportunity here in the U.S., but Yoshinoya does not get it.

The original and one and only Yoshinoya is focused on gyudon with a number of other Japanese dishes.

Photo Description: an image of a gyudon set at Yoshinoya has the text over it, and it says in uppercase "THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON GYUDON AND JAPANNESE DISHES." — I had this at 2-3am in Shinjuku, Japan for probably $5-6.

Yoshinoya Should be Serving Japanese Food (I know good idea)

The focus of Yoshinoya America should also be on gyudon and JAPANESE FOOD/DISHES.

Photo Description: the primarily orange graphic has white text with the word "THE GOAL" in uppercase. The rest of the text says "of this petition to Yoshinoya America, is to have them open a replica of one of their Japan-based locations (menu, interior, to hours of operation) in Little Tokyo Los Angeles, or Sawtelle Japantown. — This would be the spot to hit up when the bars close.

Feels Like an Oblivious Spreadsheet Driven Company

If you live in Los Angles, the vast majority of you probably do not live anywhere near a Yoshinoya because they are not targeting you. Instead, their spreadsheets are telling them to focus on an entirely different market which does not include either you or I.