Been throwing this idea around. What do ya think?

quote:

Originally posted by WarToad

Having lived in Japan for 4 years and a Hawaiian/Japanese ex-wife of 14 years, I'm a little confused. I think what you're talking about is more what's referred to as "Yakisoba". Ramen is a soup, and though if you have access to fresh ramen noodles, you can fry them, but yakisoba noodles fry up soooooo much better. The dough is similar being wheat based, but different in it's fat content. Hunt down fresh yakisoba noodles at your local japanese or asian foodstore and give them a side by side trial run with the ramen noodles. You'll see what I mean.

Us Ramen enthusiasts are as hardcore on authenticity as BBQ enthusiasts are.

http://www.rameniac.com/index/

The most common type of yakisoba suitable noodles are "chuka" if you start looking. (That's a type, not a brand)

quote:

Originally posted by WarToad

I wish you luck, but having been in 1,001 Japanese grocery stores and amidst 10,001 japanese housewives, fresh ramen noodles are sold separate from the yakisoba noodles and my neighbors and ex-in-laws would never cross-use the two.

quote:

Originally posted by SimonD

I think you mean Nothing But Noodles, but yeah, agreed. That's basically their concept.

quote:

Originally posted by Macie Faye

quote:

Originally posted by SimonD

I think you mean Nothing But Noodles, but yeah, agreed. That's basically their concept.

I guess it would kinda bee like Nothing But Noodles, just not really.

I am talking fast pased, high volume. Like 24 additions max.

Just liek sub way. You start at the line. Get to the end. Pay and get handed your food. Out the door you go.

quote:

Originally posted by justtable

My 2 cents is that Ramen is bought for $1 or less per serving. I know that there are some who love it, but most of your college students are eating it out of an economic need, not a gastronomic preference. Although I get that your product would be a better, fresher version. How do you compete with $1? My gut feeling is that most college kids would opt for the $1 version in order to save the $5.50 or so for beer.

I also think that if they were going to actually spend $6.50, I doubt it would be for Ramen. I think the price and the stigma attached to the food, put you in a tough position. Hate to be the one raining on your parade BUT AGAIN JUST MY @ CENTS>>>>GOOD LUCK

I will take the criticisum. In this country this is not normal fair now. The collage students and 100k a year biz types in the city. I am in a major money city. Down town St. Louis is a money market.

They will buy it. Ramen is ramen. Its not the .35 cent pack you get at the store. That is just a base so to say for the meal. They you add the fresh meats and vegatables.

I did some postings on the SLU message boards. The folks were estatic that maybe 5 buck a plate ramen could be avalable.

Ramen is kinda like chicken wings. You have the folks that really like it. Others hate it.

quote:

Originally posted by daytrader106

quote:

Originally posted by justtable

My 2 cents is that Ramen is bought for $1 or less per serving. I know that there are some who love it, but most of your college students are eating it out of an economic need, not a gastronomic preference. Although I get that your product would be a better, fresher version. How do you compete with $1? My gut feeling is that most college kids would opt for the $1 version in order to save the $5.50 or so for beer.

I also think that if they were going to actually spend $6.50, I doubt it would be for Ramen. I think the price and the stigma attached to the food, put you in a tough position. Hate to be the one raining on your parade BUT AGAIN JUST MY @ CENTS>>>>GOOD LUCK

I will take the criticisum. In this country this is not normal fair now. The collage students and 100k a year biz types in the city. I am in a major money city. Down town St. Louis is a money market.

They will buy it. Ramen is ramen. Its not the .35 cent pack you get at the store. That is just a base so to say for the meal. They you add the fresh meats and vegatables.

I did some postings on the SLU message boards. The folks were estatic that maybe 5 buck a plate ramen could be avalable.

Ramen is kinda like chicken wings. You have the folks that really like it. Others hate it.

I used to go out with a woman in NYC in th eighties. There was a chain of noodle parlors there that I used to love. It was mainly takeout, always teh same base...no choice of noodle....steamed...more or less as a soup with choice of veges, pork, shrimp, beef, etc. The fresh meat was added to the base. They're gone now but that could be for a million reasons.
The biggest question seems to be the market.
The formula they used seems to be a workable one. I think oodles of noodles is actually too Americanized....no cache...just chicken noodle soup...
In a college town Cache counts...so does healthy. In spite of what otheres say, college kids, particularly women, are no longer cheese burger and pizza fanatics.
to that end, you might consider steamed with broth and meat, shrimp or sarimi. Most do chicken based broth regardless of the adder. You might consider beef for beef and pork for pork, chicken for fish...but that adds items
Your concept does have the basics...low number of food items....low cost...quick order-to-serve time....Cache....St. Louis has a winter...your best season...and it coincides with college calendar...
I would seek a name that implies Japanese or oriental but also defines the product.
Frankly, I think stir-fry just connotes another Chinese take-out...and the itmes you suggested as adders are just stock fried items. If you want to add itmes, how about steamed like steamed shumai and other dimsum-like dumplings?
BTW, I also agree that college kids do love sit-down...maybe a counter to start and add as success and opportunity dictate.

Just my 2 cents and worth about that.

quote:

Originally posted by wingmanBBF

quote:

Originally posted by daytrader106

quote:

Originally posted by justtable

My 2 cents is that Ramen is bought for $1 or less per serving. I know that there are some who love it, but most of your college students are eating it out of an economic need, not a gastronomic preference. Although I get that your product would be a better, fresher version. How do you compete with $1? My gut feeling is that most college kids would opt for the $1 version in order to save the $5.50 or so for beer.

I also think that if they were going to actually spend $6.50, I doubt it would be for Ramen. I think the price and the stigma attached to the food, put you in a tough position. Hate to be the one raining on your parade BUT AGAIN JUST MY @ CENTS>>>>GOOD LUCK

I will take the criticisum. In this country this is not normal fair now. The collage students and 100k a year biz types in the city. I am in a major money city. Down town St. Louis is a money market.

They will buy it. Ramen is ramen. Its not the .35 cent pack you get at the store. That is just a base so to say for the meal. They you add the fresh meats and vegatables.

I did some postings on the SLU message boards. The folks were estatic that maybe 5 buck a plate ramen could be avalable.

Ramen is kinda like chicken wings. You have the folks that really like it. Others hate it.

I used to go out with a woman in NYC in th eighties. There was a chain of noodle parlors there that I used to love. It was mainly takeout, always teh same base...no choice of noodle....steamed...more or less as a soup with choice of veges, pork, shrimp, beef, etc. The fresh meat was added to the base. They're gone now but that could be for a million reasons.
The biggest question seems to be the market.
The formula they used seems to be a workable one. I think oodles of noodles is actually too Americanized....no cache...just chicken noodle soup...
In a college town Cache counts...so does healthy. In spite of what otheres say, college kids, particularly women, are no longer cheese burger and pizza fanatics.
to that end, you might consider steamed with broth and meat, shrimp or sarimi. Most do chicken based broth regardless of the adder. You might consider beef for beef and pork for pork, chicken for fish...but that adds items
Your concept does have the basics...low number of food items....low cost...quick order-to-serve time....Cache....St. Louis has a winter...your best season...and it coincides with college calendar...
I would seek a name that implies Japanese or oriental but also defines the product.
Frankly, I think stir-fry just connotes another Chinese take-out...and the itmes you suggested as adders are just stock fried items. If you want to add itmes, how about steamed like steamed shumai and other dimsum-like dumplings?
BTW, I also agree that college kids do love sit-down...maybe a counter to start and add as success and opportunity dictate.

Just my 2 cents and worth about that.

quote:

Originally posted by justtable

My 2 cents is that Ramen is bought for $1 or less per serving. I know that there are some who love it, but most of your college students are eating it out of an economic need, not a gastronomic preference. Although I get that your product would be a better, fresher version. How do you compete with $1? My gut feeling is that most college kids would opt for the $1 version in order to save the $5.50 or so for beer.

I also think that if they were going to actually spend $6.50, I doubt it would be for Ramen. I think the price and the stigma attached to the food, put you in a tough position. Hate to be the one raining on your parade BUT AGAIN JUST MY @ CENTS>>>>GOOD LUCK

quote:

Originally posted by bassrocker4u2

i gotta agree with justtable on this one. i have tons of friends who during those years, ate ramen only because it was the best way to stretch ten dollars for a month of food. buy like 6 for a dollar, and thats it. point is, once you eat it because you have to, you certainly wouldnt want to voluntarily eat it..lol
thast not to say you wouldnt be sucessful, thats just saying. those who you are targeting, with enough dough to spend 6 or 7 dollars on a meal probably never ate ramen as a meal because they had to. so with that in mind, you definitely have a unique concept, and it may just go well. i can see it now, set up similar to a cinci based skyline chili, with steam tables full of cooked noodles, and assorted meat toppings, perhaps an occasional grill to order item as well, like the shrimp, which only take a min to grill, and dont hold well on steam table. sounds yummy. personally, i still enjoy ramen and i would be a great customer.
peace out
mike

quote:

Originally posted by divefl

Ina college town for $6.50 I can have a large pizza delivered, tip, and still have change left over. It's not promised quality, but you said yourself that you are not going for quality... so given all else equal I would go for cheap pizza that will have leftovers rather than ramen which will not and that I have to go get.

quote:

Originally posted by divefl

It's college. And the campus is blanketed with coupons for pizza. No one is paying 20 bucks. Times are lean in college. Our interns tell me they still wait for ramen to go on sale for 5 for a buck and their are supposed to be the "rich" college students. But then, their priorities are beer then books then food.

I myself still can't eat ramen after college. I try it once a year. Too many packages of it during college and high school.

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

I like Lee's idea of a Mongolian kinda place. You could use the noodles instead of the traditional cabbage. It could be a big hit I think. The last Mongolian place I saw was at the Rio Bbuffet in LV. With houndreds of food options, there was a LONG line to get the Mongolian stuff!
Joe