The Secret to the Osaka-Kansai Expo's Rousing Success: An All-Plant-Based Restaurant Serves 288,000 Meals, Pioneering a Sustainable Cheese Culture and a Turning Point in Food
"Honestly, I almost cried at first (laughs)," says Masanori Nakao, General Manager of Business Development in the Marketing Department at Rokko Butter Co., Ltd. 'QBB Kore mo Ii Kitchen' (QBB This is Good Too Kitchen), which exhibited at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, was a restaurant where all menu items were made exclusively from plant-based ingredients, without any animal-derived raw materials.
Rokko Butter is famous for its baby cheese, and its 'QBB Baby Cheese' is a long-selling product launched in 1972, holding the No. 1 market share in Japan for baby cheese with over 200 million units sold annually.
At the beginning of the Expo, visitor numbers were low, and sales at the restaurant were somewhat sluggish. However, positive reactions gradually spread through social media, and sales began to climb steadily. Eventually, a constant queue formed, and the restaurant achieved a total of approximately 288,000 meals served. Furthermore, in customer surveys, 70% of those who tried the plant-based cheese menu responded, 'This is also cheese.' Over 85% also stated that their impression of plant-based foods had improved. "Despite all the challenges, I'm glad we participated in the Expo," Nakao reflects. He candidly shares the struggles and rewards of operating an all-plant-based restaurant at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, along with the future prospects for the plant-based cheese alternative 'Q･B･B PLANT MADE®', including behind-the-scenes stories from the Expo.
A Stage for Challenge: The Osaka-Kansai Expo
'Q･B･B PLANT MADE®', a plant-based cheese, was launched in 2024 with the aspiration to create a sustainable cheese culture. The development concept was 'Plant-based for cheese lovers.' The criterion was not 'delicious for plant-based,' but rather 'whether cheese lovers would truly find it delicious.'
"Within the company, the slogan 'If it's not delicious, it's not QBB' was frequently heard. After repeated trial and error, when I first tasted the 'Q･B･B PLANT MADE®' that we finally created, I strongly believed it would surely become a product loved by everyone," says Nakao.
"From outside the company, we were often asked if we were releasing a product that competed with our existing business. But precisely because our core business is cheese, we understand. The environmental impact of dairy products is an issue we can no longer ignore. Although not widely known, it is said that approximately 21kg of CO₂ is generated for every 1kg of cheese produced. As a company that loves cheese and wants to continue making cheese, we wanted to create a sustainable cheese culture as well."
The Expo's theme was 'A Testbed for Future Society,' and for a company headquartered in the Kansai region, participating in the Expo's restaurant initiative presented a prime opportunity to test the potential of plant-based cheese. Nakao believed that by offering a taste of new foods that would become commonplace in the future to the many people visiting from across Japan and the world seeking novel experiences, it would serve as a catalyst for social change. With this conviction, they opened 'QBB Kore mo Ii Kitchen.'
"To ensure a satisfying dining experience, we enlisted Chef Hiroshi Sasaki of the three-Michelin-starred 'Gion Sasaki' to oversee the creation of hearty, meal-oriented dishes. We relentlessly pursued flavor, aiming for plant-based cheese dishes that were astonishingly delicious."
The result was a menu that offered a surprising contrast to the typical image of plant-based foods: kushiage (deep-fried skewers), which received considerable media attention, as well as katsu sandwiches, keema curry, and even raw cheesecake – all 100% plant-based yet incredibly satisfying in taste.
'QBB Kore mo Ii Kitchen' received an overwhelming response, far exceeding expectations. "Many customers commented on the richness, saying they couldn't believe it was made without animal-based cheese. We conducted customer surveys at the restaurant, and 70% of those who tried the plant-based cheese menu responded, 'This is also cheese.' Furthermore, over 85% indicated that their impression of plant-based foods had improved. It seems that simply offering products on store shelves still makes it difficult to convey the appeal of plant-based cheese. However, we confirmed that by offering them as menu items, as we did this time, we could significantly increase interest and customer satisfaction."
Nakao reaffirmed the importance of communicating the 'delicious ways to eat' plant-based foods, which helps to dispel the common perception of plant-based options as questionable in taste, through the Expo participation.
"To encourage customers to purchase ingredients that are new and unfamiliar to them,
we should have first and foremost focused intensely on ensuring they could enjoy them deliciously at least once.
Going forward, we want to strengthen our 'serving suggestions' for enjoying plant-based cheese deliciously."
We want to strengthen our 'serving suggestions' for enjoying plant-based cheese deliciously.
Going forward.
Just as soy lattes and oat lattes have become standard options in cafes,
QBB's challenge continues, aiming for a future where plant-based cheese becomes a 'standard option.'
QBB's challenge continues.
*1 Salt and flavoring agents are not plant-derived.
However, they contain no animal-derived ingredients.
*2 What is QBB PLANT MADE®?
https://www.qbb.co.jp/lp/plantmade
*3 Plant-based cheese is accurately referred to as 'plant-based cheese alternative food.'
For readability in this article, we have used the term 'plant-based cheese.'
For the sake of readability in this article, we have used the term 'plant-based cheese.'
*4 Source: OurWorldinData.org
Rokko Butter Co., Ltd.
Tel. (Main) 078-231-4681
https://www.qbb.co.jp/