A 200 yen dispute at Saizeriya led to nationwide refunds

For many expats on a budget here, dining out at wallet-friendly chains like Saizeriya is a reasonably routine occurrence. However, as one Tokyo customer recently found, even small misunderstandings about pricing can add up. I think this situation highlights how tricky it can be to navigate rules even when Japanese is your native language, let alone when it isn't!

The issue centered on Saizeriya's kids drink bar, which is listed on the menu at 100 yen. At one branch, a staff member insisted it couldn't be ordered alone, and pushed for the higher-priced adult version at 300 yen. The customer was confused and unconvinced, and ended up pressing the point. After consulting consumer affairs and later writing a detailed letter to Saizeriya's executives, he learned the staff had misunderstood the policy for nearly a year.

Saizeriya ended up investigating and admitted the problem wasn't limited to one branch, so they ended up issuing a nationwide apology, clarified that the kids drink bar can indeed be ordered alone, and even offered refunds for families who had been overcharged since 2019.

For us as expats, I felt that the story underlined two realities. The first one is that everyday spending matters. A 200 yen difference might sound pretty minor (and maybe not something to get up in arms about), but when multiplied across numerous families and multiple years, the sums become significant. Second, speaking up, even in a system that feels daunting, can create change. Policies written in Japanese can be confusing, and it takes courage to ask questions. This is especially true when we are foreigners living here!

I'm glad that someone else did the legwork in this situation and followed things through, but it's food for thought (no pun intended) for me going forward.

Have you ever had to speak up or complain about a policy or procedure here? Did you find it easy or difficult to get a resolution compared to what would happen in your country of origin?

Info source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250903/p2a/00m/0na/025000c