From the Kitchen to the Stage: How the “Performance Economy” in the Food Industry Makes a Bowl of Noodles More Expensive?
Hello everyone, I’m your financial observer. Recently, there’s been a particularly interesting phenomenon in the food industry: in the past, restaurants tried their best to hide the kitchen from customers, fearing they’d see a messy mess; now, however, owners would rather bring the stove right under their noses, with chefs explaining the cooking process while flipping the noodles, and customers gather around to watch.
This is the hottest trend in the food business this year—the “Itamae Model” (also known as the “round-the-stove model”).
In simple terms, it turns cooking into a performance and eating into a form of entertainment. From high-end Japanese cuisine to street-side pancakes, from thousand-dollar omakase dinners to inexpensive fast food, this trend has completely transformed the food industry.
Today, we’ll break down the business logic, consumer psychology, and potential risks behind it in plain language.
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What is the “Itamae Model,” and how has it gone from being exclusive to becoming more accessible?
First, let’s clarify that Itamae is originally a Japanese concept. In the past, you’d go to a high-end omakase restaurant, spend thousands of dollars per person, and have to reserve a spot months in advance. You’d sit at the bar, and you’d eat whatever the chef prepared, with the focus on scarcity and mystery. Back then, Itamae meant luxury and exclusivity.
But this year, Itamae has completely come down from its pedestal and become a mainstream consumer product.
The changes are evident in three areas:
1. Diverse menu offerings: In the past, only sushi and yakitori were served in Itamae settings; now, Sichuan cuisine, hot pot, Northwest dishes, and even bubble tea and coffee are all part of the Itamae experience. Places like Jiu Jiu Jiu serve noodles at the counter, Xibei offers grilled lamb skewers, and even places that specialize in braised dishes can create a dramatic cooking display.
2. Price drops: In the past, watching a chef prepare sushi could cost you 1000 yuan; now, watching a chef make dumplings or spicy hot pot can cost only 20-80 yuan per person. For example, the popular “Rou Rou Da Mi” serves hamburger patty dishes on the spot for just over 70 yuan, which netizens jokingly call the “poor man’s version of omakase.”
3. Dailyization of the experience: Itamae restaurants used to be quiet, like private clubs; now, they’re located in the busiest parts of shopping malls, with the smell of cooking oil, the sound of shouting, and the sight of flames, creating a lively atmosphere.
The core logic has changed: What Itamae sells now is transparency and a sense of participation rather than just luxury and scarcity.
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Why do restaurants suddenly embrace “performing cooking”? Because business is becoming harder!
You might ask: If efficiency was once the key in the food industry, why do they now want chefs to perform on stage?
The answer is harsh: without the performance, they can’t charge a higher price or attract customers.
The food industry is facing two major challenges:
1. Stagnating prices: Restaurant prices have even returned to levels from a decade ago. How can a bowl of spicy hot pot or snail noodle soup sell for 50 yuan in a mall when it only costs 20 yuan on the street?
2. The impact of delivery: Delivery is so convenient that dine-in sales are declining. How can people be persuaded to leave home and go to a restaurant?
The Itamae Model solves these two problems:
- First strategy: Blurring the lines between cost and price. If the food is prepared in the kitchen, customers can only compare prices. But if it’s prepared on stage, what they’re buying is more than just a bowl of noodles—it’s the chef’s labor, the live service, and the interactive experience. For example, Nanjing’s Fan Yun Yi Jia sells spicy hot pot with the chef preparing it right in front of you for 75 yuan per person. In this case, it’s hard for customers to compare the price with street vendors, as the experience is completely different. You’re not just buying ingredients; you’re buying the process of watching them cook.
- Second strategy: Turning the kitchen into a live advertisement. With people coming and going in the mall, how can you attract passersby? Traditional signs are static, but a lively Itamae area with smoking meat, flying noodles, and flames is a powerful attraction. Data shows that restaurants using the Itamae Model see a 30%-40% increase in foot traffic. This setup is also great for creating short videos; customers can eat and post on social media like REDnote and TikTok, helping the restaurant promote itself for free. The chef becomes an actor, and the customers become both spectators and promoters.
- Third strategy: Increasing turnover and saving space. Bar designs are usually more compact than tables for four people, so a single customer doesn’t take up a large space. Chefs can serve directly, eliminating the need for servers and reducing the kitchen area, which is a significant cost-saving and revenue-increasing factor in crowded malls.
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Why do customers pay? We’re not just looking for cheap food; we want a sense of security.
Since the Itamae Model is so popular, who is actually paying for it?
The main target audience is young people in first- and second-tier cities, especially those who eat alone.
Why are they willing to spend dozens of yuan sitting by the stove?
1. They don’t trust what’s hidden in the kitchen; they trust what they see being prepared right in front of their eyes. People are very skeptical about pre-made dishes. Data from Meituan shows a surge in searches for “freshly cooked” and “made-to-order” food. In the past, when restaurants advertised they didn’t use pre-made ingredients, no one believed them; now, when chefs cut the meat and cook the noodles right in front of them, “seeing is believing” becomes the biggest guarantee of quality. Itamae sells a sense of perceivable freshness, not absolute freshness.
2. It alleviates the awkwardness of eating alone. Sitting at a four-person table alone can be lonely, and sharing a table can be awkward. The Itamae bar design allows you to sit next to strangers without disturbing each other, while still feeling part of a lively group. The waiting time is filled with the chef’s cooking, making it pass quickly.
3. They seek a sense of luxury they can afford. Young people may not be able to afford a thousand-dollar omakase, but they’re willing to spend 80 yuan on a meal with a sense of仪式. Watching the chef prepare food and listening to their explanations about the ingredients provides a sense of participation and emotional value that delivery can’t offer.
In summary, customers are buying a meal that gives them a sense of security, participation, and is suitable for taking photos, not just filling their stomachs.
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The pitfalls of the “Itamae Model”: The bright side has its downsides
Although the Itamae Model is popular, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. As more brands adopt it, problems are also emerging:
1. Negative experiences: Cooking oil, noise, and small portions. Chinese cooking often involves a lot of frying, which generates a lot of smoke. If the ventilation isn’t good, customers leave with unpleasant smells and damaged makeup. The noise from the chef’s performance and the mall environment can be disruptive for those who want a quiet meal.
2. Rising costs: Not all restaurants can afford the investment. Creating an Itamae area requires special bar designs and advanced ventilation systems, which can be expensive. Staff training and equipment (such as high-capacity, quiet fans) are also costly.
3. Homogenization: The novelty wears off quickly. When the first restaurant uses this approach, it’s novel; when dozens or hundreds of restaurants do it, it loses its appeal. Once the excitement fades, consumers return to what’s essential in food: good taste and reasonable prices. Some brands that blindly follow this trend have closed within six months due to average taste, high prices, and poor experiences.
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Looking to the future: The Itamae Model is just a step forward
In conclusion, the Itamae Model is a reflection of the food industry’s shift from selling products to selling experiences.
- For restaurants: Itamae is a tool, not an end goal. It builds trust through transparency, increases prices through performance, and attracts customers through a lively atmosphere. But the food must be good, and the service must be excellent. Otherwise, no amount of performance will make up for poor quality.
- For consumers: Itamae offers a new dining experience that meets our needs for freshness, security, and social interaction. We should remain rational and not let the spectacle blind us to the taste of the food itself.
Future trends:
1. Partial Itamae: Most brands will adopt a combination of Itamae and traditional tables to maintain the appeal of performance while ensuring comfort for larger groups.
2. Specialized Itamae: Certain types of food (like Japanese, barbecue, noodles, desserts) will continue to thrive in this format, while dishes with strong flavors that generate a lot of smoke may find more balanced display methods.
3. Back to the basics: When the Itamae Model is no longer novel, competition will focus on ingredient quality, taste innovation, and value for money.
In one sentence: When chefs stand on the stage, they’re not just cooking; they’re “reporting on their work.” When customers sit there, they’re not just eating; they’re “evaluating the result.” As long as the food is good, the price is fair, and the experience is comfortable, the Itamae Model will be successful. Otherwise, no amount of performance can save a bad meal.
So, next time you visit an Itamae restaurant, give the chef who’s working hard some applause. After all, who doesn’t want their efforts to be recognized?