What is Central Kitchen

This chapter discusses the supply chain management (SCM) of the foodservice industry in Japan. For a restaurant to grow by developing a chain and opening multiple stores, it needs a supply chain that links the central kitchen, manufacture and direct sales, and cold chain. Therefore, using Saizeriya, a major restaurant chain in Japan, as a case study, the authors identify Saizeriya's management strategy, supply chain model, and its functions. Although Saizeriya is in the restaurant industry, it has adopted the business model of speciality store retailer of private label apparel (SPA), which is prevalent in the apparel industry. In this study, the authors clarify how the company has improved the efficiency of its supply chain while controlling the effects of the rising costs of raw materials and logistics.