Priority reservation system offers time savings — for a fee

TOKYO >> A growing number of restaurants and clinics have introduced a reservation ticketing system that allows customers to gain priority entry by paying an extra fee.

The system aligns with the recent social trend of prioritizing time efficiency — or taipa (time performance) — in which customers willingly pay for reduced wait times.

The system, profitable for providers, is a win-win situation for both businesses and consumers.

‘Feels like a great deal’

A line formed outside Aidaya, a ramen shop in Tokyo, on an early July afternoon. The nine-seat counter area was often full on weekdays and weekends, and the shop said during peak hours, customers sometimes waited 1-1/2 hours to be seated.

Aidaya introduced SuiSui, a fee-based reservation ticketing system designed for restaurants.

The ticket price fluctuates based on specific situations. At Aidaya, the minimum ticket price, which varies by location, is set at 1,000 yen (about $6.30). Customers scan a QR code posted in front of the restaurant, which links to a site to purchase tickets.

Hiroto Sakata, a customer from Yaizu in Shizuoka prefecture, visited Tokyo’s Asakusa district on a day trip and purchased tickets for two people, allowing him to skip the line.

“It feels like a great deal to get into a popular restaurant so quickly. It looks like we will have more time to explore Asakusa,” Sakata said.

SuiSui’s system is available in English, Chinese and Korean.

“This is a new source of revenue that allows us to keep prices steady even as food costs rise, and to offer services like free rice refills,” said Aidaya manager Kazutaka Arita.

Expanding nationwide

Keiichiro Sato, chief executive officer of SuiSui, came up with the idea of adopting a system that was already in use at theme parks, based on his own experience of waiting for hours for a meal in Kyoto.

“The system transformed waiting time into value and satisfies both the restaurant and the customer,” Sato said.

To date, about 100 restaurants across Japan have adopted SuiSui.

Misokatsu Yabaton, which serves pork cutlet with miso sauce, a Nagoya specialty, implemented SuiSui at its five locations in Nagoya.

“The greatest benefit is that we can create opportunities for people, who in the past gave up due to long lines, to actually enjoy our food,” said a Yabaton spokesperson.

Priority medical care

Since 2022, Tokyo-based Micin Inc., a healthcare technology company, has installed curon Smartpass, a cashless payment service specifically for outpatients, at clinics across Japan. The system allows patients to check in and pay via smartphone. Last year, it added a reservation ticketing system.

Tokyo-based medical corporation Hozankai introduced the system at some of its Tokyo clinics. Patients can receive priority treatment for some services for a 500 yen fee.

30% pay to save time

In a survey of 1,400 people, including 200 high school students, on the type of activities they would like to spend less time on, the most common response was waiting in line at theme parks, followed by waiting in line at restaurants.

Meanwhile, 32% of respondents said they have paid to save time, such as through virtual queue systems. Among the respondents in their 20s, 47.5% had done so.

“The number of people trying time-saving services is on the rise,” said Chiba University professor Makoto Ichikawa, a time studies expert. “It is certainly appealing to those who want to use products worth paying for or visit popular establishments without having to wait in line.”