What to Leave Beyond the Goal

Last September, marking 15 years since our founding, we launched a project called “VISION 2021” and consolidated several companies under the WELCOME Group, starting anew. Until now, we have been dedicated to our mission, but now we are entering a phase where we expand our field by connecting not only within the company but also with external people necessary for the project. By combining forces beyond the boundaries of capital and organization, I believe we can achieve growth that is not constrained by existing concepts. We always operate with openness, and that idea is the foundation of our activities. The WELCOME Group bases its business on proposals for a beautiful and enriched lifestyle, connecting people and things through the two axes of food and design. DEAN & DELUCA, which has grown centered around food, and lifestyle shops like GEORGE’S and CIBONE, which have grown centered around design. Utilizing the experiences of these two brands, we will continue to develop new business formats and engage in licensing businesses, just like TODAY’S SPECIAL that was born from this synergy. As a food retailer, DEAN & DELUCA also aims to expand into the restaurant business. However, it’s important not to expand the field too much, so for now, VISION 2021. Until 2021, we will focus on the two axes of food and design. Management is not something done alone; it is shared with people. Therefore, sustaining it for a long time is very important. With the decision to host the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the economic tailwind will likely bring growth. We chose “VISION 2021” to consider what will remain beyond 2020. We see these five years as a period to connect to the future. If we don’t progress with the idea of what to leave beyond our goals, we will never create anything truly great. The goal is not the end but a connection to the next. It might be better to think of the goal as a milestone rather than an endpoint. It’s similar to considering how long we can remain happy rather than just a moment of happiness.

The Changed Atmosphere After the Disaster

After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, there was a period when we felt a cold atmosphere of unacceptance. CIBONE, which was developed with the concept of conveying the craftsmanship and design of the world and Japan, was a lifestyle shop intended for daily use but often used for special occasions. Besides our Aoyama store, we had another store in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo—a conservative and homely area. Even though we proposed value-added designs there, it felt like they weren’t needed by the customers at that time. After the disaster, customers stopped coming, and the atmosphere changed instantly. During the period of recovery, everyone started to value what they could do themselves and aimed to approach their lives with care. This mindset naturally led to the birth of a new project with the concept of “DIY for life.” It wasn’t the right time to invest new funds, so we dismantled CIBONE with our store members and designers who shared this idea, and created a new store on a shoestring budget. We gathered carefully crafted products that were not mass-produced and created a marketplace-like store. This was the beginning of TODAY’S SPECIAL. Like a restaurant menu, we offer today’s special items. Instead of promising the same offerings every day, we cherish what is available today. By genuinely acting on what we and the people around us felt, we gained a lot of empathy and, fortunately, TODAY’S SPECIAL became a brand visited by many customers. During tough times, believing in the sensibility shared with our colleagues and resetting what we have to start something new was crucial. Rather than waiting for funds or profitability guarantees, if we are connected with trusted colleagues and shared sensibilities, we bring our beliefs to life even without a sure guarantee. That experience taught us once again that success lies at the end of persevering through such efforts.

Connecting and Growing Through Sensibility

In training for new employees, we always talk about “resonance of sensibility.” Initially, everyone looks puzzled, wondering what it means. However, they must have felt something—like a love for TODAY’S SPECIAL or a delightful experience at DEAN & DELUCA—that drew them to join this company. That feeling is the connection. It means that our feelings resonate with each other. Humans have a certain measure, a kind of ruler, of sensitivity and sensibility. If we trust that ruler and regularly confirm each other’s sensibilities, we can shape something together. That’s all our company does. People with similar styles and sensibilities gather for each brand, giving each brand its unique character. If employees step out from the brand, it is when they have grown and are ready for new challenges. We want to be a support system within the group where such challenges can begin.

Oven Over Microwave

I think of the company as a family. Some people advised me that it would be simpler and easier to grow if we made each brand a separate company and I was involved as an individual owner. But it wasn’t about that; I wanted to cherish the richness of human connections, so I created a group. Therefore, I aim to create a team where we can deepen personal and professional relationships in a positive way. My father once told me, “Oven over microwave.” Food heated in a microwave cools quickly, but food warmed slowly in an oven stays warm longer and is still delicious even after it cools down. Business and human relationships are like that. Even if it takes time, I want to create a family where employees and their families can connect. I started DEAN & DELUCA when I was 29 years old. I think there were some quite rough aspects, but it was through the introduction of someone I trusted, so without making any judgments about what was possible or not, I believed in that encounter and jumped in. I am truly grateful to the people who protected and supported us. I will definitely repay them. Meeting various people and forming connections have led to our growth to this day. From now on, I want to continue meeting many people and creating brands and communities that connect new attractions, both domestically and internationally.

January 2016, at DEAN & DELUCA Roppongi. Translated by ILI Inc.