How the Concepcions are setting the standard for Japanese dining
It has been 12 years since John Concepcion challenged himself and used his know-how dealing with consumer goods (he built Selecta Ice Cream for 30 years) to start a restaurant company named the Standard Hospitality Group. And based on its growth, one can say he has been pretty successful and good at it.
“He’s always been someone who likes to shake things up—he loves finding ways to do things better,” says his son Mike, who is the group’s head of brand. “At the time, the casual dining space was full of restaurants trying to do a bit of everything but not quite mastering anything. He saw an opportunity to focus on specialization and create something that could deliver great food and experiences at a price that felt right.” Thus, Yabu was born.
Their very first concept, which is dish-specific, proved to be a hit that Ippudo, which specializes on an assortment of authentic ramen, became the natural next step.
“It just clicked for us. We realized the beauty of concepts with a strong identity and a clear focus—they’re memorable, and they resonate with people,” says Mike, who has been managing the company’s operations from the get-go, juggles work with his retail company, Welcome Worldwide, which is responsible for Aesop, Commonwealth, Carhartt, Ronnie & Joe, and APC.
In 2021, Mike decided to officially join the group and lend his retail expertise to create and develop new brands as well as look after the creative direction of their existing roster. As the head of brand, he looks after design, experiences, partnerships, and new business development. In addition, he helps oversee anything from communications to architecture and new product innovations.
Single-dish mastery
Among his recent contributions is the development of Kiwami, which he credits as the brainchild of his father. “He’s always been great at spotting opportunities others might overlook. He saw a simple yet powerful idea to take our focus on single-dish mastery and scale it up into a larger format where variety could also shine.”
Mike adds, “I remember him explaining it for the first time, and it just made sense. It was one of those why-hasn’t-anyone-done-this-before moments. It was a challenge to crack the model, but we’re so happy with where it is now and the response it has had.”
Located at Bonifacio High Street Central in Bonifacio Global City, Kiwami Japanese Food Hall houses their brands under one roof—Yabu for katsu, Ippudo for ramen, Hannosuke for tempura tendon, and Yakitori Hachibei for yakitori. It opened in 2021.
Just this year, it had a major makeover, not just in aesthetics but also in operations. Each brand now has its dedicated kitchen, allowing them to focus on the items they sell. Also, aside from ramen, tonkatsu, tempura, yakitori, and soft serve ice cream, they have added Koyo, a contemporary handroll bar, which they created with chef Mark Manaloto, who has led sushi omakase restaurants in Chicago and New York. Nicole, Mike’s sister, has joined the operations as the brand manager of Kiwami.
“We always felt like sushi was the missing piece at Kiwami. It’s such a natural fit, especially as a starter. But we wanted to approach it differently, with a format that feels fresh and new to the market,” says Mike.
“It feels like everything has finally come together, and the updates have taken the guest experience to the next level.”
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