I'm Going To Japan

Tu_triky wrote:
...

Enna, alas, no tasty fried chicken to speak of....

Ijou desu.

mmm... Roscoes.... :bonk:

krim wrote:


mmm... Roscoes.... :bonk:

Hmmmm I wish krim-chan! We don't have Roscoe's chiken & waffles in New York. We do however have Popeye's! :bonk: Although it still doesn't taste as good as the Family Mart fried chicken I had in Japan. :grumble:

BTW I found the Family Mart's new Famima store info in CA. Here is there News Release before the Famima store opened. Note their snail mail and e-mail address at the bottom of the article in case anyone feels like writing them about their West Hollywood store. :)

Famima!! FIRST LIFESTYLE SPECIALTY ALL-IN-ONE COMMUNITY STORE TO OPEN IN TRENDY WEST HOLLYWOOD
LA gets the first taste of Famima's gpremium experienceh this summer
Torrance, CA – June 20, 2005 – West Hollywood. California has always been a trendy place for firstsc design, fashion and food to name a few. Now add to the list, Famima!! A new lifestyle specialty all-in-one community store (Premium Grocer + Quick Service Restaurant + Convenience Store) concept that is thoughtful in its modern design and sophisticated in its product offerings is set to open on July 20, 2005 on the corner of Santa Monica and La Cienega Boulevards. With an appeal that is POP, HIP, and GenX all in one, Famima!! is superbly positioned to be West Hollywoodfs newest hot spot this summer.

gWe have been waiting for this day with eager anticipation,h says Mr. Inoue, President and CEO of FAMIMA CORPORATION. gOur strong track record in overseas markets shows that we have a successful formula to make Famima!! a household name in the US. In our quest for excellence, we are confident that distinguishing U.S. consumers will be quick to appreciate and enjoy the Famima!! experience. Our community and service oriented lifestyle stores have everything they need.h

gI am very happy to announce that we are opening our first Famima!! store in the United States,h gleams Mr. Ueda, President of FamilyMart Co., Ltd. gThis initiative is expected to add crucial momentum to the implementation of our Pan-Pacific Plan, which aims to create a global network of 20,000 stores. We are working to create Famima!! stores that offer ready-to-eat food products with a high level of freshness and quality along with an atmosphere of warm hospitality that gives American consumers a cheerful feeling of abundance.h

Famima!! leads the way as the gpremium experienceh in modern day corner convenience store shopping. As a targeted lifestyle retailer, Famima!! is your neighborhood deli, a quick service restaurant, your premium grocer, your banker, your personal business and stationery store, your local newsstand and internet provider, and your morning coffee stop. Tailored to the savvy American consumer that appreciates the finer things in everyday life, FAMIMAfs international, best-selling and fashionable sundries complete the shopping experience.

Operated by FamilyMart Co., Ltd., U.S. based FAMIMA CORPORATION has an aggressive strategy for bringing Famima!! stores to the U.S. With the West Hollywood store as its pilot project, a strategic rollout of hundreds of specialty stores using the Famima!! and franchise systems are planned over the next 3 years. In 2005, 3 new stores will be added; in 2006, 30 more stores, and the company anticipates having 250 stores by 2009.

ABOUT Famima!!
FAMIMA CORPORATION was founded in 2004 to bring high-quality, generation and neighborhood focused convenience store franchises to the US market. Backed by the strength of the Fortune Global 500 company, ITOCHU Group, Famima!! stores excel at generation and regional level marketing, superior store design, quality customer service and value pricing. The upscale Famima!! store format includes a first-rate deli, specialty and international foods, snacks and beverages, and a diverse selection of attractive and in demand lifestyle merchandise.

# # #

FAMIMA CORPORATION
20000 Mariner Avenue, Suite 100, Torrance, CA 90503

www.famima-usa.com

Enna wrote:

Hmmmm I wish krim-chan! We don't have Roscoe's chiken & waffles in New York. We do however have Popeye's! :bonk: Although it still doesn't taste as good as the Family Mart fried chicken I had in Japan. :grumble:

BTW I found the Family Mart's new Famima store info in CA. Here is there News Release before the Famima store opened. Note their snail mail and e-mail address at the bottom of the article in case anyone feels like writing them about their West Hollywood store. :)

Famima!! FIRST LIFESTYLE SPECIALTY ALL-IN-ONE COMMUNITY STORE TO OPEN IN TRENDY WEST HOLLYWOOD
LA gets the first taste of Famima's gpremium experienceh this summer
Torrance, CA – June 20, 2005 – West Hollywood. California has always been a trendy place for firstsc design, fashion and food to name a few. Now add to the list, Famima!! A new lifestyle specialty all-in-one community store (Premium Grocer + Quick Service Restaurant + Convenience Store) concept that is thoughtful in its modern design and sophisticated in its product offerings is set to open on July 20, 2005 on the corner of Santa Monica and La Cienega Boulevards. With an appeal that is POP, HIP, and GenX all in one, Famima!! is superbly positioned to be West Hollywoodfs newest hot spot this summer.

gWe have been waiting for this day with eager anticipation,h says Mr. Inoue, President and CEO of FAMIMA CORPORATION. gOur strong track record in overseas markets shows that we have a successful formula to make Famima!! a household name in the US. In our quest for excellence, we are confident that distinguishing U.S. consumers will be quick to appreciate and enjoy the Famima!! experience. Our community and service oriented lifestyle stores have everything they need.h

gI am very happy to announce that we are opening our first Famima!! store in the United States,h gleams Mr. Ueda, President of FamilyMart Co., Ltd. gThis initiative is expected to add crucial momentum to the implementation of our Pan-Pacific Plan, which aims to create a global network of 20,000 stores. We are working to create Famima!! stores that offer ready-to-eat food products with a high level of freshness and quality along with an atmosphere of warm hospitality that gives American consumers a cheerful feeling of abundance.h

Famima!! leads the way as the gpremium experienceh in modern day corner convenience store shopping. As a targeted lifestyle retailer, Famima!! is your neighborhood deli, a quick service restaurant, your premium grocer, your banker, your personal business and stationery store, your local newsstand and internet provider, and your morning coffee stop. Tailored to the savvy American consumer that appreciates the finer things in everyday life, FAMIMAfs international, best-selling and fashionable sundries complete the shopping experience.

Operated by FamilyMart Co., Ltd., U.S. based FAMIMA CORPORATION has an aggressive strategy for bringing Famima!! stores to the U.S. With the West Hollywood store as its pilot project, a strategic rollout of hundreds of specialty stores using the Famima!! and franchise systems are planned over the next 3 years. In 2005, 3 new stores will be added; in 2006, 30 more stores, and the company anticipates having 250 stores by 2009.

ABOUT Famima!!
FAMIMA CORPORATION was founded in 2004 to bring high-quality, generation and neighborhood focused convenience store franchises to the US market. Backed by the strength of the Fortune Global 500 company, ITOCHU Group, Famima!! stores excel at generation and regional level marketing, superior store design, quality customer service and value pricing. The upscale Famima!! store format includes a first-rate deli, specialty and international foods, snacks and beverages, and a diverse selection of attractive and in demand lifestyle merchandise.

# # #

FAMIMA CORPORATION
20000 Mariner Avenue, Suite 100, Torrance, CA 90503

www.famima-usa.com

I think this was mentioned on another thread, Enna-chan, but that's okay. It'll keep it fresh in our minds. :D

20000 Mariner Ave., ne? That's not too far from home... About a mile, at most. :D

is there a store there? or just the Corp office?
I could swing by on the way home... sorta.

bmwracer wrote:
I think this was mentioned on another thread, Enna-chan, but that's okay. It'll keep it fresh in our minds. :D

20000 Mariner Ave., ne? That's not too far from home... About a mile, at most. :D

krim wrote:is there a store there? or just the Corp office?
I could swing by on the way home... sorta.

Yeh I thought it was already mentioned. That is their Corp. address. The new Famima store address for you is on the corner Santa Monica and La Cienega Boulevards in West Hollywood. The reason I posted that is because Tu_triky mentioned in a post yesterday that he was disappointed in their lack of Japanese items when he went there recently. So I figured if you don't like the way the store is stocked you can always write the Corp. office and tell them so. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused about the address. :)

Enna wrote:

Yeh I thought it was already mentioned. That is their Corp. address.
...

im not quite awake yet.

gomen! :beaten:

eightysix wrote:

Oh yeah, that store. They have a lot of oldskool anime stuff there.

yeah, met the owner of the anime store there, cool guy, and willing to buy, sell, and maybe trade anime/robot figurines. nice selection of anime/robot figurines. will have to go visit the store again when i am back in town.

Enna wrote:

Yeh I thought it was already mentioned. That is their Corp. address. The new Famima store address for you is on the corner Santa Monica and La Cienega Boulevards in West Hollywood. The reason I posted that is because Tu_triky mentioned in a post yesterday that he was disappointed in their lack of Japanese items when he went there recently. So I figured if you don't like the way the store is stocked you can always write the Corp. office and tell them so. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused about the address. :)

does anyone have pix of the new Famina store in LA, and maybe what items they do sell inside the store??
i am curious to know.

Enna wrote:


Sorry to hear that Tu_triky. :pout: Maybe you could try e-mailing the parent company a short note telling them of your disappointment. Perhaps they don't realize that it IS the Japanese goods that would bring you back as a return customer. Hey give me their e-mail address and I'll write them. What is the point of opening up a Japanese based store in the USA if it is just going to be another basic boring American convenience store? If they want to increase their sales in that new store (Famina) then they should pay attention to the local customers' needs. You know what they say..."Money talks and BS walks." ;)

PS. I am off to do a little research on where to write Family Mart. :victory:

it's all good...as i mentioned i live close to Los Angeles' Little Tokyo which obviously offers the types of food and beverages that i enjoy purchasing...but thanks for your advice....it's true....writing does usually elicit better results....in any event that is merely the FIRST Famina in the area...they may very well change the goods at future stores depending on the local demographic market...btw, the West Hollywood area where Famina is located is an affluent area that has a high concentration of gay people (no, i mean literally...not joking)

Enna wrote:

Hmmmm I wish krim-chan! We don't have Roscoe's chiken & waffles in New York. We do however have Popeye's! :bonk:

Dayem I ate at Roscoe's last week....2 pieces of fried chicken with waffles, mac & cheese, potatoes smothered in gravy and onions, and a biscuit.....the day after I ate a large bowl of ramen. That was a mistake....I swear it took me DAYS to purge my body of all that f*ckin' sodium. seriously...the water weight i gained from all that sodium was scary...and i go to the gym every dayem day!

it was DAYEM GOOD tho!!! roscoe's is to be indulged in on a limited basis for fools like me who are not blessed with a hyper fast metabolism.

okay....enough.

Tu_triky wrote:

Dayem I ate at Roscoe's last week....2 pieces of fried chicken with waffles, mac & cheese, potatoes smothered in gravy and onions, and a biscuit.....the day after I ate a large bowl of ramen. That was a mistake....I swear it took me DAYS to purge my body of all that f*ckin' sodium. seriously...the water weight i gained from all that sodium was scary...and i go to the gym every dayem day!

it was DAYEM GOOD tho!!! roscoe's is to be indulged in on a limited basis for fools like me who are not blessed with a hyper fast metabolism.

okay....enough.

yeah, i had roscoes chicken'n'waffles before in LA, the chicken was good, but i liked the waffles even more...
i remember they even sold shirts there, but didn't buy one though.

qilver wrote:

does anyone have pix of the new Famina store in LA, and maybe what items they do sell inside the store??
i am curious to know.

Hi qilver,

Here is what Tu_triky said about it:

Tu_triky wrote:regarding stuff found while going to japan...i remember a while back bringing up the fact that they opened the first Family Mart "conbeni" in the United States here in West Hollywood under the name Famina. well i went there about a month ago...and while it was very well appointed and ultra nice for a convenience store it had less japanese goods than i hoped...they had some nice packaged lunch items including onigiri and some sushi bentos but much of the food items there were not japanese...they had a few things such as a few japanese beverages, snacks and magazines but nothing approaching the Family Marts of Japan. it was very posh but if you're looking for japanese food one would be better served to go to one's local Japanese market if you have one....
in sum, nice but nothing to go out of your way for....

Do you live or work near this new store qilver? Feel like going on a little field trip???? ;) ;) :D

Tu_triky wrote:it's all good...as i mentioned i live close to Los Angeles' Little Tokyo which obviously offers the types of food and beverages that i enjoy purchasing...but thanks for your advice....it's true....writing does usually elicit better results....in any event that is merely the FIRST Famina in the area...they may very well change the goods at future stores depending on the local demographic market...btw, the West Hollywood area where Famina is located is an affluent area that has a high concentration of gay people (no, i mean literally...not joking)

Hi Tu_triky,

Yes I see what you mean. They geared their merchandise for that particular store for the local clientele that they were hoping to attract. :)

PS. OK don't start with the Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles conversation again. I am already craving them!!!! :bonk: And we don't have any Roscoe's in our area! :grumble:

OT: Im going to guess you haven't had catfish and pancakes, so we can talk about that.. :hehe:

Enna wrote:

Hi Tu_triky,

Yes I see what you mean. They geared their merchandise for that particular store for the local clientele that they were hoping to attract. :)

PS. OK don't start with the Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles conversation again. I am already craving them!!!! :bonk: And we don't have any Roscoe's in our area! :grumble:

hmm...new york is the ultimate culinary playground here in the United States....okay it's not Roscoe's but I remember I used to go to a place called "Mama's" in the East Village that had great Southern Fried Chicken. so next time you're in Lower Manhattan.....

@enna,

i don't really live that close to Famina, my guess is about a good hours drive, or more if traffic. Torrance/Gardena has some good j-stores, and it is a 35 mile drive out there from Orange County. Maybe in the future, i am in the area, i will visit the new Famina store. It doesn't seem all that exciting though, from the way Tu_triky described it. think Mitsuwa/Marukai Japanese Markets would have way more stuff available anyways. just the thought that a new Japanese Convenience opened up, sounded cool, cause it reminded me of Lawson and Family Mart in Japan.

Tu_triky wrote:

hmm...new york is the ultimate culinary playground here in the United States....okay it's not Roscoe's but I remember I used to go to a place called "Mama's" in the East Village that had great Southern Fried Chicken. so next time you're in Lower Manhattan.....

Thanks krim-chan! :D I was just joking about Roscoe's! They were getting me hungry! :sweat: Next time I am in the East Village I will check out "Mama's." I know this isn't the thread for it but my fave Fried chicken places in NYC are Miss Mamie's at 110th or Miss Maude's at 547 Lenox Ave. in Harlem. Both owned and operated by the author of the cookbook "Spoonbraed and Strawberry Wine." krim-chan PM me if you feeel like it and tell me about your NYC experience. Do you know of any good Japanese restaurants or stores you want to recommend in NYC? I live on Long Island and I don't get into NYC as much as I used to when I lived and worked there. :)

Now back to Japan.!!!!! :D

just so I can keep it related to Japan, the last time i went to NYC, we (ex and I) ate pretty much beef odon from this store near Grand Central, pretty much for a week...

why? my ex owns a japanese restaurant near the West Covina mall, and we (she mostly) didn't want to eat at any good japanese places. :puppydog:

italian, or dimsum, i can suggest a few places... assuming they're still there.

krim wrote:just so I can keep it related to Japan, the last time i went to NYC, we (ex and I) ate pretty much beef odon from this store near Grand Central, pretty much for a week...

why? my ex owns a japanese restaurant near the West Covina mall, and we (she mostly) didn't want to eat at any good japanese places. :puppydog:

italian, or dimsum, i can suggest a few places... assuming they're still there.

OOhh so you overdosed on beef odon in NYC! :rolleyes: But I betcha you know a lot about good Japanese food 'cause of your ex! ;) :D

I wonder why there is no topic named "Japanese stores in the USA"? Since I'm not able to take part in this discussion :(

Enna wrote:

OOhh so you overdosed on beef odon in NYC! :rolleyes: But I betcha you know a lot about good Japanese food 'cause of your ex! ;) :D

hmm... having not been to japan in my adult life, i can't compare the foods, but the dish they serve the most of... :hehe:

Beef Teriyaki with Tempura, and a glass of Franzia wine... :hehe:
and the only sake they served was Sho Chiku Bai, like what you'd get a regular grocery store.

I wasn't as much of a japanophile as I am now, and besides, she's actually taiwanese.