Thanks to your support, OkuMasa is celebrating its second anniversary since opening.
To mark this milestone, and to express our gratitude to the villagers and local guests who have warmly watched over us, we held a 2nd Anniversary Thank-You Lunch Buffet.
This time, we carried out a thank-you event at a price we could never normally offer in regular service, even if it meant operating at a loss.
Between our daily operations, we prepared carefully so that local guests, including village residents, could truly feel satisfied. It was not easy, but these two special weeks brought us many lessons and much joy.
✨ What Made Us Happy
Above all, we are deeply grateful that so many local guests came to visit us.
“I’ve never had pasta this delicious!”
“I was moved. I will definitely come again!”
“Unbelievable — everything was delicious!”
Words like these warmed the hearts of our entire team.
We were especially encouraged by guests who came multiple times during the event and by those who made their next reservation before leaving.
One unexpected favorite was the “bonus curry.” We made it mild and easy for children to enjoy, but it received such a strong response that it nearly became the star of the event.
✨ Reflections and Lessons
Of course, not everything went smoothly.
We were not accustomed to serving in a style different from our usual operation, and mistakes occurred that would normally be unthinkable for us.
Our signature pasta, which should have been one of the highlights, did not attract as much attention when served in a pre-made buffet style. Perhaps it felt “overcooked” to some guests. It was a frustrating result.
What weighed on us most was that, because of staff shortages, we had to turn away guests who had taken the trouble to come.
We are truly sorry to those we could not seat or serve properly.
In addition to our reservation and inquiry forms, we also offer reservations through LINE for regular guests, so please feel free to ask us.
✨ What We Were Able to Improve
Even so, as we repeated the event, we were able to identify issues and make gradual improvements as a team.
For example, we shifted from a buffet to an all-you-can-eat style where freshly prepared dishes were served to order. This made guests’ reactions to each dish much clearer and helped us build a better menu. It also allowed us to keep things interesting for guests who came more than once.
We also held repeated meetings about staff coordination, role-sharing, and how to handle problems, gradually moving closer to a smoother operation.
✨ Looking Ahead
This event was a major milestone for us, and also a new starting point.
We are currently looking for kitchen staff. We are also always open to hall staff applications.
Thank you very much for the many applications we have received. However, we have not yet been able to hire kitchen staff. We are looking for someone who can help carry OkuMasa into its next stage. We look forward from the heart to meeting someone who will build and grow the restaurant together with us.
At present, lunch is operated by reservation only, but we plan to build the team so guests can visit more casually without reservations as soon as possible.
We also plan to put more effort into coffee and desserts from now on. We are continuing research and testing so that the time after the meal becomes even richer.
Finally—
Once again, thank you very much.
We have been able to continue for these two years because of the support of our local community.
We are sincerely grateful that you celebrated this milestone with us and shared many comments and impressions.
We are still growing as business owners, but as food professionals, we will continue moving forward while building even stronger relationships with producers and fellow local businesses.
We will continue growing every day as a restaurant that carefully and sincerely delivers the blessings of Yanbaru.
We would be grateful for your continued support for many years to come.
