Success Secrets in Fort Worth

The last restaurant I decided to research is Tokyo Cafe, a quaint Japanese restaurant located off of Camp Bowie. The 15-year-old restaurant, like Joe T’s, is family owned and run. Tony and Angela Ho first opened the restaurant in 1999 and have sinced passed on the management to their son, Jerry and his wife, Mary. What makes "Tokyo" so special to its customers is the family atmosphere, according to assistant manager, Taylor Clark. Clark began her time at Tokyo as a hostess and has since worked her way up to assistant manager. Along with Clark, Jerry Ho and sushi chef Kevin Martinez, the restaurant has remained popular not only with returning customers, but new customers as well. Clark is responsible for managing not only the servers, but making sure customers remain satisfied after their dining experience. Ho is in charge of everything with the kitchen, and Hunt with anything related with the sushi. For Martinez, one of the downfalls of other restaurants in Fort Worth is that they forget what it means to have a relationship with their customers. “Around 80% of business for restaurants is returning customers, which some restaurants don’t think about,” Martinez said. Since the beginning, Tokyo has made sure to please their returners, while adapting to new trends and gaining new customers. The menu ranges from classic sushi rolls to teriyaki bowls to their award-winning Tok fries. Denver Mead, a native from Fort Worth and TCU senior, has been coming to Tokyo since he was in middle school. “I love that you walk in and the waiters know who you are and even what you’re going to want to order,” Mead said. The rarity of this kind of service is one of the things that sets Tokyo apart from its competitors, and why it has maintained its success for almost two decades. Like what I saw with Joe T’s, it is important to hold on to the classics that set your restaurant apart, while at the same time keeping up with current food trends to entice a new group. “Ramen is really hot right now, so we’re experimenting with that,” Clark said. “It’s important to keep the old, but not alienate people who have been here so long with the new stuff.” With Fort Worth’s population increasing each year, Clark is ready for Tokyo to take the next steps to becoming a permanent staple on the Fort Worth food scene. Tokyo prides itself on its customer service and the ability to maintain relationships, two things that have worked for 15 years and what Clark  and the rest of the Tokyo staff hopes will last for many years to come.