Trends Fade, Essentials Don't: Koji Kanematsu on Patience, Painful Pivots, and Building a Concept That Lasts

What if your biggest problem isn’t awareness—it’s that people try your food and don’t come back?Koji Kanematsu set out to bring onigiri to the American mainstream, convinced the market just needed to be introduced to something new. But for five years, his business sat at break-even: good enough to survive, not good enough to grow.In this conversation, Koji shares how a single shift in product design unlocked demand, why blaming the market can stall your growth, and how small, iterative changes beat big, expensive bets.If you’re stuck wondering why traffic doesn’t translate into loyalty, this one will challenge how you think about your menu.To learn more about his work, visit onigilly.com_________________________________________________________Today’s episode is also brought to you by Table 22. Build predictable revenue outside your four walls with subscriptions, memberships, and product drops. Table 22 helps you design it and shows you the numbers before you commit. Try it free at table22.com. Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com