Kyoto Yamagishi Group is a multi-format restaurant group operating eight locations across Kyoto and Tokyo, including Japanese cuisine, hot-pot kaiseki, izakaya, and yakiniku. As the group grew across multiple stores and formats, on-site challenges began to surface — most notably the lack of integration between reservation platforms and the reservation book, and limited sharing of guest information across the group. With Respo, the group has rolled out a "full-suite deployment" that combines mobile ordering and payment terminals tailored to each store, while using Respo as the operational foundation for maintaining "the Yamagishi standard" across every location.
Challenges Before Adopting Respo
As Kyoto Yamagishi Group expanded into more stores and formats, the team faced the following on-site challenges.
■ Lack of integration between reservation platforms and the reservation book The group used multiple reservation platforms in parallel, requiring staff to log in to each platform's admin console and manually transcribe reservations into the reservation book Differences in specifications between platforms created an ongoing risk of input errors and double bookings When staff covered shifts at other stores, the need to share that store's platform login credentials and re-log in created a significant operational burden
■ Limited sharing of guest information across the group Reservation books were managed store by store, leaving guest information siloed across the group In situations such as "a regular of Tominokoji Yamagishi visiting Nominokoji Yamagishi," details like guest preferences, allergies, and special occasions could not be shared between stores As a result, there was a risk of inconsistent service quality across different locations
Key Features of Respo
"Respo" is an all-in-one platform for restaurants provided by Hello Inc. It brings reservation book, channel manager, POS, payment terminals, and mobile ordering together on a single platform, and can be flexibly combined to match each restaurant's scale and business format.
■ What Respo Offers
- Reservation book: Integrates with multiple reservation platforms, eliminating manual transcription from each platform
- Channel manager: Centrally manages inventory across the restaurant's own site and other reservation platforms
- POS / Payment terminals: Complete checkout and payment in a single device, streamlining store operations
- Mobile ordering: Enables guests to order from their smartphone or tablet, reducing wait times
- Guest information management: Share and use guest information across the entire group, beyond individual stores
Outcomes After Adopting Respo
■ Outcome 1: No more platform logins — streamlined cross-store coverage Because Respo integrates reservation platforms with the reservation book, staff no longer need to log in to each platform's admin console individually. When staff cover shifts at another store, there is no longer any need to share that store's platform credentials and re-log in. Even at the store they are covering, staff can check and manage reservations with the same ease as at their home store.
■ Outcome 2: A "full-suite deployment" optimized for each store Yamagishi Group has combined Respo's product suite to match the business format of each location. At the izakaya-format "Nominokoji Yamagishi," the full suite — reservation book, channel manager, POS, payment terminals, and mobile ordering — has been deployed to reduce idle time during ordering and checkout. This has created an environment in which staff can focus on what truly matters: delivering a comfortable dining experience and spending time in conversation with guests.
■ Outcome 3: Original practices such as "color-coded management" deliver consistent quality across every store Using Respo's guest information features, the group has established a shared rule across all stores: key details such as birthdays, anniversaries, allergies, and VIP handling are managed by "color." This has built a system that upholds Yamagishi Group's philosophy of "hospitality tailored to each individual guest," regardless of which store the guest visits.
Comments from Kyoto Yamagishi Group
We received the following comments from the representative at Kyoto Yamagishi Group who led the Respo rollout.
"For us, Respo is a tool we use, not a tool that uses us. We hope it will continue to be a partner that listens to voices from the field and grows with us into an even better service." ── Representative, Kyoto Yamagishi Group
"Technology shouldn't disrupt the traditions of Kyoto cuisine or the unique world each restaurant has built. It should be the foundation that supports them from below. We hope Respo will continue to provide that 'underlying support' for us going forward." ── Representative, Kyoto Yamagishi Group
Comment from Yuki Hariguchi, Representative Director, Hello Inc.
"Kyoto Yamagishi Group is one of the restaurant groups we hold in the deepest respect — a group that cherishes the traditions of Kyoto cuisine and the hospitality of caring for each guest as an individual. We believe technology should not alter that world, but rather serve as the 'underlying support' that reduces the burden on the floor and gives staff more time to be present with guests. We are committed to evolving Respo by learning from voices on the ground, so that it can be one of the foundations supporting the next chapter of Kyoto Yamagishi Group's journey."
About the Case Study Article
The full story has been published as an interview with Kyoto Yamagishi Group on the official Respo website. The article offers an in-depth look at how Respo is used in multi-store, multi-format group operations, along with the group's original operational practices. ▼ Case Study Article "Inside the Respo Rollout at a Multi-Store Group Home to Kyoto's One-Michelin-Starred 'Tominokoji Yamagishi'" URL:https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/yamagish
