The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders
How experiences influence our choices.
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Would you knowingly go to a restaurant that messed up the orders a third of the time?
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In Tokyo, there’s a restaurant infamous for messing up orders. Hot coffee is delivered with a straw in it. Wait staff guide guests to their table and pull out a chair to join in the meal. Order a chicken entrée and you may be served a rice dish instead. The restaurant gets orders wrong 37% of the time and not on purpose. Unlike restaurants like Dick’s Last Resort. where being rude is their entire concept, this staff tries earnestly to do a good job. However, the only thing they are consistent in is making mistakes. Even with the chaos, 99% of diners leave happy with the dining experience.
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The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is a pop-up concept, conceived by TV producer Shiro Oguni. He got the idea while working on a story for NHK, a Japanese news outlet, about a group home for residents dealing with dementia. During his visit, he had lunch in the dining room run where the service was run by the residents. He ordered a hamburger steak but received potstickers instead.
“As everybody around me was eating with such gusto, I felt quite muddled and wondered if perhaps it was me who was in error.” Oguni noted, “Why raise our eyebrows at the difference between sizzling steak and?gyoza? ‘So, it’s a mistake, well, fine.’ Given that kind of tolerance, the dining scene can become relaxed and delightful. This is the world people with dementia live in. It's no big deal. It's OK to make mistakes."
Oguni’s experience reframed his perspective on dementia.
“Like everybody else, my awareness of dementia at first tended towards negative images of people who were ‘radically forgetful’ and ‘aimlessly wandering about.’ But actually, they can cook, clean, do laundry, go shopping, and do other ‘normal’ things for themselves.”
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That day, Oguni formed the idea of a pop-up restaurant run by waitstaff with dementia. His goal was to deepen awareness and change perceptions about the condition.
“The restaurant is not about whether orders are executed incorrectly or not. The important thing is the interaction with people who have dementia.”
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Initially, Oguni worried that people might view the restaurant as a carnival sideshow or think it mocked the staff. Instead, diners experienced heartfelt moments. They see the smiles of staff members with dementia and often feel moved. The staff benefit too, expressing sentiments like, “I’m still capable” and “This has given me confidence.” ?Though servers may struggle with memory, both they and diners leave with a shared feeling of kindness and connection. This two-minute video gives you a sense of the experience and the joy of the staff.
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This pop-up isn’t selling food—they’re selling experiences. Guests go to see if they will receive what they order or who may unexpectedly join their meal. They’re almost disappointed if the meal progresses smoothly. They also get to feel good about supporting and learning more about those with dementia.
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We connect to one another through sharing our experiences. Mention to someone that you are getting your wisdom teeth out, faced a language barrier when traveling, buying your first home, or your travels were delayed by a major weather event, and they will start telling you their version of that event. It’s an unspoken “I see you and understand what you’re experiencing.”
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If you want to get better at selling products or services or proposing ideas, stop focusing on the item and features itself. Instead, shift your attention to the experience. What are people able to think or feel differently as a result?? What will they be able to know or do? What differences will they describe in their life or work because of it? You are never selling a thing; you are selling the shift it creates for someone.
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There is a lot of (terrible) advice to “Share your why,” but that’s not always necessary or relevant. People don’t need to know why you started something—they need to know how it fits into their lives. We are still in the age of the influencer. When someone shares their experience with a product or a service, we often think “I want that outcome!” It’s the “I’ll have what she’s having” moment, where we seek to belong to the in-group and aspire to that transformation.
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In business, change management often fails because companies focus on how the change benefits the organization and not the employees. Sales fall flat when they spotlight features instead of solving real problems. It feels like something is being forced on them instead of painting a future that benefits them.
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Here’s a consulting secret: People often can’t tell you what they want because they don’t know what they don’t know. In all my years of consulting there is one fact: the problem that people share when I initially connect with them isn’t the one they truly want to solve. It’s a symptom of something larger, which is why they haven’t fixed it yet.
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The best way to help someone respond to a product or idea isn’t by listing features—it’s by helping people connect with a positive, future-focused experience. Whether you’re selling a product, pitching an idea, or leading change, focus on the experience. Show how they’ll save time, reduce frustration or feel a sense of joy and accomplishment.
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The next time you’re trying to influence a decision, start by defining: What story do I want people to tell after this experience? Will they feel relief, excitement or empowerment? How will it make them feel? What will it help them become? When you make the outcome tangible and meaningful, you don’t have to convince people. They’ll see themselves in the story and want to be part of it. They’ll be the first in line at the pop-up to have their experience that they can share with others.
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Ask me about Japan project success. Experienced, bilingual Japan-based executive & consultant, founder of eSolia. proven.lol/6a7048
1 周I’m in Yokohama and have been meaning to visit this restaurant. Thanks for the reminder.
I'm a coach for stressed people managers desiring to find balance, gain confidence & lead effectively.
2 周I agree with Nancy Settle-Murphy that the problem is a symptom, and not something larger. Why do "we" add layers between the core problem and the symptom we speak about being the "problem"? I question how we have learned to perceive the problems we share with others until we believe we can trust that we are able to share more. What can we do to help others identify the core problem earlier?
Stress & Confidence Coach | Former IT Program Manager | 2x Burnout Survivor | Helped 40+ Professionals Reduce Stress, Build Confidence, and Reclaim Balance | ??♀? Mountain Biker.
3 周Absolutely! People remember how you make them feel more than the details of what you offer. A great experience builds trust, loyalty, and connection—far more powerful than just listing features. When the experience is right, even mistakes become opportunities to strengthen relationships.
?? Award-winning facilitator, the OG of remote work, virtual team alchemist, facilitation skills trainer, navigator of differences, presenter and author
3 周Karen Eber - What a great story! I'd go there in heartbeat if it was closer. This is so true: "the problem that people share when I initially connect with them isn’t the one they truly want to solve. It’s a symptom of something larger, which is why they haven’t fixed it yet." Amen to that! That's why well-crafted probing questions are so important, making it safe for others to share their vulnerabilities, fears and issues.