Anna Millers in Japan...

[doconeill]

I'm still getting caught up on podcasts...listening to the Aulani report...

I thought it was interesting that the waitress said Anna Millers as a standalone restaurant...because I understand it's pretty big in Japan! Enough so to actually become something of a cultural item.

It is supposedly popular among young Japanese men, for the same reason that Hooters is popular here - for the waitress outfits.

As far as I can tell the one in Hawaii was the first (beyond any previous burned-down one), but the ones in Japan are at least related (possibly as franchises).

 

[WebmasterJohn]

The waitress did explain that there was another one in Japan (she made it sound like there was only one more - maybe there are others she wasn't aware of) but the owner sold the actual restaurant as it was too difficult for him to manage. It is now run as a franchise and all of the items are either sold by the owner of the one in Hawaii or at least approved by him for use in Japan.

As far as we were told the one in Hawaii is the original and the only one currently owned by the founder.

 

[doconeill]

The waitress did explain that there was another one in Japan (she made it sound like there was only one more - maybe there are others she wasn't aware of) but the owner sold the actual restaurant as it was too difficult for him to manage. It is now run as a franchise and all of the items are either sold by the owner of the one in Hawaii or at least approved by him for use in Japan.

As far as we were told the one in Hawaii is the original and the only one currently owned by the founder.

That makes sense. I haven't been able to find out how many there are in Japan, but they certainly seem popular. They show up in anime and manga quite a bit.

As much as google translate can take me, it does appear to be owned by a conglomeration (Imuraya).

 

[Jitzy]

That's good news! We're being transferred to Japan, we'll have to try it when we get there. I hope they have the banana pancakes!!!

 

[pxlbarrel]

I've been in one in Japan. We ate at one in Yokohama in the huge mall near the convention centre (there's a Disney store there ... and a Snoopy store). I remember that we walked into it and could not figure out why this place had such a ummm... very Pennsylvania Dutch look to it. My brother, who is into Manga, told me that there is some Manga about a girl who works at a Anna Millers.

They kept trying to get us to eat some pie for dessert but we were too full already. LOL