FUKUOKA (ANN/JAPAN NEWS) – As labour shortages intensify in the restaurant industry, innovative food freezing methods are gaining popularity, enabling restaurants to operate with fewer staff. Frozen meals only need to be thawed before serving, offering a convenient solution to staffing challenges.
Technological advancements have improved the preservation of flavour in frozen food, enhancing its appeal. These methods also contribute to reducing food waste by allowing for longer storage periods, raising hopes for further sustainability in the industry.
At Bar Kodamari in Fukuoka, a restaurant utilising in-house food freezing technology, customers enjoy dishes such as pasta that were prepared and frozen earlier. In late July, a customer savoured a pasta dish that had been frozen prior to serving.
The restaurant, operated by OBU Company Inc., has a food processing facility on-site that prepares and freezes meals, which are then defrosted once ordered. The menu features time-consuming dishes, such as chicken breast carpaccio for JPY 1,000 and acqua pazza with sea bream and asari clams for JPY 1,200.
“Nearly all of our menu items are frozen, which is uncommon in Japan,” said Kingo Terakawa, President of OBU Company Inc., based in Chikushino, Fukuoka Prefecture. Since opening in August last year, Bar Kodamari has garnered positive feedback, with customers praising the food for not tasting like it was frozen.
The preparation process at Bar Kodamari requires minimal culinary expertise, as meals are simply heated in a microwave, boiled, or defrosted naturally. This has resulted in reduced food waste and higher profit margins for the business.
OBU Company has since expanded, opening Kodamari Shokudo in Fukuoka’s Mizuho PayPay Dome, offering dishes such as seafood rice bowls. The company plans to open more restaurants using this efficient cooking method in the future.
Rapid freezing techniques on the rise
Historically, frozen food was less popular among restaurants, as there was a preference for freshly prepared dishes. However, the ongoing labour shortage has shifted this perception.
Micreed Co., a Tokyo-based wholesaler specialising in frozen food, reported a record JPY 5.9 billion in sales for the fiscal year ending in March 2024. The number of new customers increased by approximately 50 percent during the April-June period compared to the same period last year, as more restaurants turn to frozen solutions.
Advances in refrigeration technology have played a pivotal role in improving the quality of frozen foods. When food is stored between -1°C and -5°C for extended periods, ice crystals form and damage the food’s cells, affecting its taste. The latest freezing techniques focus on rapidly lowering the temperature to -6°C or below, preventing this degradation.
Dhowa Technos Co., an electrical equipment trading firm based in Kitakyushu, launched a quick freezer in 2021 that uses liquid immersion at -35°C to freeze food four times faster than conventional methods. The company reports a growing demand for this technology.
Issa, a Fukuoka-based startup, offers air-cooled quick-freezing services and has seen inquiries double since the COVID-19 pandemic. “Frozen food will soon become the standard in the restaurant industry,” said Issa’s President, Naoki Ura.
Frozen Foods Enter the Household Market
Freezing technology has also enhanced the quality of frozen foods in the household market. Nishiki Co., a shrimp aquaculture company in Yamaguchi Prefecture, adopted a quick freezer from Dhowa two years ago, allowing them to sell frozen shrimp year-round. According to President Norihiko Yasumura, the shrimp maintain their firm texture even after thawing, and the company is exploring export opportunities.
Royal Holdings Co., a family restaurant chain operator, began selling Royal Deli frozen meals in 2019, using quick-freezing technology to offer restaurant-quality dishes at home. The company now offers around 50 different frozen meal options.
The Japan Frozen Food Association reported that the annual per capita consumption of frozen foods reached 23.2 kilograms in 2023, marking a 20 percent increase from 20 years ago. As frozen meals become more common in restaurants, this figure is expected to continue rising.
