The True Nature of the Evolving "Food Court" — No-Call Delivery, Monthly Subscriptions, and Recreating Famous Restaurant Recipes Indicate the Next Norm

Introduction: Why Food Courts Are Changing Now

In the past, food courts were designed primarily for efficiency, characterized by "self-service," "call buzzers," and "returning dishes to the return station." However, the post-COVID-19 preference for contactless interactions, chronic labor shortages, and the importance of creating "experiences that make you want to stay" in commercial facilities have converged, leading to the emergence of an "evolved" system where ordering, serving, payment, and collection are completed while seated. A specific example is reDine Shinjuku, which has standardized cross-platform smartphone ordering, serving, and dish collection, implementing an experience that does not rely on call buzzers.TBS NEWS DIG

Furthermore, by incorporating 24-hour operations and a monthly craft beer subscription, they simultaneously break down the barriers of time and price psychology. This is an attempt to transform the "food space" from an inexpensive snacking area to a space where you can stay longer.TBS NEWS DIG

1. "No Call" Seated Experience: Cross-Platform Ordering and Serving

At reDine Shinjuku, you can order from a variety of menus from 11 different stores, ranging from burgers to eel and night parfaits, all from your smartphone. The food is served to your seat, and even dish collection is handled. This eliminates the traditional flow of "going to pick up when the buzzer rings," creating a stay value that does not interrupt conversations or work. This is a design reversal against the conventional wisdom of **"food court = self-service,"** and it is characterized by being offered in conjunction with a space that can also be used for dates and dinners, featuring elements like neon, lounges, and high ceilings.TBS NEWS DIG

This "no call" approach is not merely about enhanced service. Users can reduce the risk of moving seats or leaving belongings unattended, while the facility can improve the quality of circulation and stay, aiming to increase average spending and LTV. At the same time, the spread of DX, such as mobile ordering and pick-up lockers, is accelerating the movement to smooth out peak handover congestion.teraokaseiko.com+1

2. 24 Hours × Subscription: Removing Time and Wallet Constraints

reDine Shinjuku's craft beer subscription with 100 varieties (5,980 yen per month / 2 hours per day with one item order condition) creates a state where "there's always something fun if you go". It functions as a device to lower the trial hurdle while increasing visit frequency (number of visits) and stay time. Combined with 24-hour operations, it can also capture demand during "gap times" like late night and early morning.TBS NEWS DIG

The key to the subscription is (1) stay value (comfort of space, music, seating), (2) variety of selection ("the joy of choosing" from 100 types), and (3) condition design (2 hours per day / one item order). While profitability is hard to gauge solely from the subscription price and beverage cost, the model is easily established through mutual supplementation, such as **"the longer the stay, the more additional food is ordered."** Official information and coverage articles repeatedly emphasize the concept of 24-hour operations × cross-platform ordering.redine｜A Nationwide Network of Shared Food Halls/Shared Restaurants+2favy Official Blog Favicon+2

3. "Reproduction" of Famous Restaurant Recipes: Showrooming in Food Courts

GURUNAVI FOODHALL WYE (Tenkuubashi) at Haneda Innovation City adopts a system where Gurunavi receives recipes and ingredients from popular restaurants to reproduce the taste. You can enjoy the taste of famous restaurants from afar, such as Hiroshima's "Chinchikurin" okonomiyaki and Osaka's "Richouen" stone-grilled bibimbap, all at once in the metropolitan area. Some cases supplement the secret parts of the recipe with actual sauce provision.TBS NEWS DIG The benefits for the store are clear. It functions as a "D2C test" to determine future store openings by "seeing the reaction in Tokyo."

Customers can access the taste of famous restaurants with

zero travel cost
, and the facility secures

buzz and foot traffic

. A new role for food halls as **"re-editing collective knowledge"** emerges.TBS NEWS DIG+1

4. Dramatic Reduction in Opening Barriers: Shared Kitchens and RaaS

reDine Shinjuku uses a

"shared kitchen" format where multiple stores cook simultaneously by dividing a large kitchen in the center of the floor
. The

initial cost is about 200,000 yen

, with equipment and hall staff provided by the management, supporting the entry of

small-scale and new business formats

through revenue sharing and short-term contracts. The design to lower the **"experimental cost of opening a store"** enhances the density of innovation in dining out.TBS NEWS DIG+2lease.redine.jp+2 This is based on a RaaS (Restaurant as a Service)

operational philosophy, turning the kitchen and floor into "shared infrastructure." It also allows for greater freedom of entry and exit, making it a valuable space for

pop-ups
and

product testing

.Weekly ASCII - IT News Site 5. Behind-the-Scenes DX: Mobile Ordering, Pick-Up Lockers, Order Integration

The shift from "waiting for the call bell to ring" to
"completing at the seat" or "picking up at a locker"

is accelerating. The mobile ordering and pick-up lockers introduced by Kichiri

disperse peak queues through pre-payment and locker handover
, also reducing

operational burden on the store

.

teraokaseiko.com Additionally, systems like NEW PORT × smart locker integration and OneQR's food court features are being developed to bundle orders and payments from multiple stores into a "common layer" SaaS. From the perspectives of labor shortages and operational costs

, the trend toward **"integrated operation across the entire facility"** is irreversible.

Press Release & News Release Distribution Share No.1｜PR TIMES+1 6. Spatial Design: From Food Court to "Stay Lounge"The space at reDine Shinjuku encompasses multiple moods, from neon street-style standing bars to

high-ceiling areas like hotel lounges

. As reflected in user feedback such as
"can be used for dates,"

balancing "bustle" and "relaxation" is emphasized.

TBS NEWS DIG This **"scene-specific zoning" creates comfort for long stays and photogenic appeal, also benefiting self-driven customer acquisition through SNS.24-hour seating design (lighting, volume, cleaning flow at night) is also an important practical point.redine｜A Nationwide Network of Shared Food Halls/Shared Restaurants

7. Reinventing Revenue Design: KPI as "Space Efficiency × Circulation × LTV"The KPI for evolved food courts cannot be measured by space efficiency (sales density) alone. Cross-platform ordering creates "shared dining" at the same table, increasing the elasticity of additional items. Subscriptions boost frequency and stay time, adding value to the "dead time" from night to late night. Reproducing famous restaurants

attracts new customers with

buzz and rarity
, also serving as a valuable sponsor for future store opening tests. These effects intertwine to elevate the **LTV (customer lifetime value) of the entire facility**.

8. Risks and Issues: Plugging Operational "Pitfalls"Age Verification and Drinking Moderation: Alcohol subscriptions require strict age verification, clear daily limits, and mandatory food orders in their operational design (reDine has a 2-hour per day / one item order condition).

TBS NEWS DIG

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