Omakase? It Could Be the Easiest Choice You’ll Make All Day
And not just when you’re deciding on sushi.
Everyone loves choice, don’t they? It’s the best thing about living in a free, capitalist society after all.
It can have its downsides though, can’t it? It can leave you a little, well, overwhelmed?
We’ve all had that feeling on a busy day as we walk into a Starbucks or similar, look at the giant menu on the wall, sighing as we think to ourselves ‘Man, I just want a fucking coffee.’
That feeling is often described as “decision fatigue” — the idea that making too many decisions literally tires us out. Most famously considered the reason Steve Jobs always wore the same outfit — not having to pick one out daily saved his energy for more important decisions.
Choice might not be so great for business either. Psychologist Barry Schwartz has argued that offering customers too much choice increases their anxiety through a ‘choice overload’ that may, in turn, lead to fewer sales.
Enter the Japanese concept of Omakase. (Yeah, I know, another Japanese concept. They’re just so good though aren’t they?)
Omakase (“I’ll leave it up to you”), originating in sushi restaurants in the 90s, is where customers can opt simply for whatever the chef thinks is best, however they would have it. In Japan, this idea has since spread to other types of restaurants, and even hairdressers and clothing stores.
It doesn’t just save fatigue either, it can also spare your blushes when out of your depth at a fancy restaurant. And why not trust the expert anyway? It’s their job to know better than you!
So where possible, consider choosing Omakase more often. And business owners, maybe you should consider offering it.
