EDK: How did you come up with the 300 per Night system?
Fujita: I wanted to create a bar where you can easily grab a drink after work, visit with friends, or visit alone. To do that, I thought the most important elements were somewhere cheap, fun (where you can meet new people), and safe. So the idea was to set beer and cocktail prices at 300 yen, roughly the same cost as a Seattle-chain coffee. But in order to keep costs low, we need to maximize our staff productivity, so I came up with the ticket system. Similar to a cash bar, at 300 per Night you use pre-paid tickets which avoid trouble with tips and money management. The tickets have no expiry date so even if you have little money in your wallet, you can still get a drink. We only ask that you buy a minimum of 3 tickets (945 yen including tax, roughly the cost of a pint at other bars).
Besides the price, how is 300 per Night different than other bars?
There are two main differences. One is that we try our best to welcome international guests. Making friends while traveling is a lot of fun and can change your opinion about a place. In that way, our bartenders make effort to talk to all customers and introduce customers to each other. It's a relaxed place where people can meet each other.
Another difference is our weekend events. Whether it's an amateur or pro performing, all events have no cover. With an all day 300 yen menu everyday, customers can use their money to tip the performers, depending on the quality. So anyone who thinks they can perform in front of an audience can use our space for free. Supporting young artists is also one of our goals.
After the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, some people may be hesitant to visit Kyoto. Of all that Kyoto has to offer, what do you recommmend visitors experience here?
To be honest, we opened on March 18th and were specificially counting on international guests, so we weren't prepared for the impact after March 11th. Although Kyoto's culture has been written about in plenty of books, I think a lot that is written doesn't have a sense of intimacy. Rather focusing on things and landmarks, I recommend visitors talk and get to know Kyotoites, the people who have continued Kyoto's 1200 year old history. While there are a lot of things happening around the world now, nothing has changed in Kyoto from March 10th. The best thing is for Kyoto's foreign residents or international visitors to see what's going on the ground and spread the word to their respective countries through the internet or word of mouth. This is really the most accurate information.
You seem to spend a lot of times overseas. Has this influenced you opening 300 per Night?
I've been in the apparel business for over 30 years and often traveled alone to America, Europe and Asia. At first I didn't like eating alone but now I find myself eating at bars when overseas on business. Being alone, naturally people talk to me and I make a lot of friends. These kinds of places doen't really exisit in Japan, I remember thinking. So I wanted to create a bar where people can experience the same thing in Japan, somewhere reasonable, safe and friendly. 300 per Night combines Japanese food with a Western bar format, so I hope the atmosphere encourages customers to naturallly talk to each other.
Special deals:
Wednesday - Ladies Night: 1,000 yen all you can drink for 90 min
Friday - International Night: 1 free champagne or 1 free drink ticket for international guests.
Mention EDK and get a free drink (when you buy minimum 3 tickets)
Tel／Fax: 075-352-7025
Lunch: 11:30am-2pm (Mon-Sat)
Bar: 6pm-2am (later on weekends)
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