Social media uproar over sudden closure of Japanese restaurant chain in Bangkok

[misskit]

Bangkok’s social media has been rife with questions and comments, both yesterday and today (Saturday) about a popular Japanese restaurant chain which suddenly closed down without notice, raising concerns among customers who have pre-paid vouchers to eat there.


The uproar started on Facebook after messages were posted raising questions about the sudden disappearance of the Japanese restaurant’s Facebook page. The “Buffet Lovers” page was swamped with questions and criticism.


Others said that they had personally visited restaurant outlets and found they were all closed, with a sign saying no service due to server breakdown and offering an apology.


One customer told Thai PBS that he bought five buffet vouchers, at 199 baht each, because he likes the food at these restaurants, because it is cheap and delicious.


He said the vouchers are good for six months and he decided to visit one of the outlets in the Ramintra area yesterday, but found, to his disappointment, that the premises were closed.


Another customer, who bought two coupons, also expressed his disappointment at having found the restaurant closed and wondered whether or how he could get a refund.


There has not yet been a response from the restaurant operator.

Social media uproar over sudden closure of Japanese restaurant chain in Bangkok | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

[harrybarracuda]

Hmmm will have to have a wander down to Fuji today to see if it's them.

[qwerty]

I think Oishi is more likely - they have the buffet, not Fuji.

[sabang]

Why can't we be told the simple fact of whodafuck this is?

[Happy As Larry]

I don't think it is either of those

[harrybarracuda]

Well this was posted on the Buffet Lovers FB page, so I assume it's them.

From various comments on social media

Referring to the Daruma Sushi Staff

We are one of the branch managers. Let me explain like this.

Employees, including franchise owners, are not aware of this incident.

We only came to know on the morning of the 17th after the owner of the company deleted himself, left all the Line groups and no one could contact him.

So we have a discussion in the management group about how to solve the specific problem. So we decided together to close the service for 1 day because we still hope to be able to contact the owner of the company. (Until this moment, I still hope, even though I know it's so complicated.)

Many customers call to ask the reason from the staff "the central system is down". It became the answer that we could think of at the time.

Because we still don't know how to answer our customers. If we can't contact the company owner, then if he suddenly come back to work, we're afraid that there will be problems in the work.

Confirmation to all employees and franchise partners, we did not see or plan this beforehand.

On the 16th, we still open the shop to welcome customers as usual. No warning signal.

Note that all branches are closed together. That's our personal decision. Because the supplier doesn't send raw materials to the branch. Because Daruma Company still has old debt pending.

Out of raw materials, how to open a shop?

The point of observation is why the employees are silent now.
And let me ask you again, if you were in employee status like us, what would you do?

Now we're settling in, gathering our minds on what to do next, but we know we can't do much more than sue the Department of Labor and get a little social security check.

Or is there a better way? If anyone has knowledge of labor rights, kindly point us out.

There are both Thai and international workers.

Especially the foreign workers are extremely sympathetic because everyone has filed and paid half way through the paperwork and thrown in the air.

What are they going to eat? This question is always in my head because I am branch manager. I am mixed with staff. It is very interconnected. It hurts so much. When I call a meeting and have to inform them bad news.

Type and cry

This company doesn't have an management team, no HR officers, accounts or anything. (Or maybe there is one. I've been here for 3 years, never seen it, never cooperated. Everything is done by myself).

Executive power. All decisions are solely with the owner of the company.

When the owner of the company disappeared, the whole system collapsed.

Customers who bought coupons and are worried that they will be scammed, you can report it as per your own rules. Don't try to call the branch number because the employees don't have to answer even their own future.

But all of this, I would like to thank all customers who have come to use Daruma Sushi shop. Because of you, we have a job to do and get a salary all the time.

I didn't dream that something like this would happen.

I feel sorry for my subordinates. Should I pity myself first? I'm confused.

Asking for more permission

I want to tell the owner of the company that I call him Boss.

If Boss has come to read this, I want him to come back to face the truth and solve the problem. I believe that this story has a better solution for everyone. I haven't forgotten when I lost my job in the first COVID crisis. Sozad Sose came to stay with Daruma. Boss opened his arms and is a very good boss.

I know that our company is not profitable. Boss always said that fight for the employees, so that there will be employment.

Until today, when I think about Boss, I still don't have anger and hate. I still love him the same.

[DrWilly]

Wow, that’s a pretty raw letter.

[harrybarracuda]

Sounds like a decent sized long firm scam.

[harrybarracuda]

Ah a Ponzi scheme.

The franchisor of Daruma Sushi Co has fled the country, leaving behind chaos after more than 500 people lodged fraud complaints with police and the consumer protection body against the popular Japanese buffet restaurant chain.

Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner, said on Monday an immigration check showed the company owner, whose name was not disclosed, left for Dubai at 11pm on Thursday. He was travelling aone, and his final destination was unknown.

The commissioner spoke following talks with a number of victims - e-voucher buyers, franchisees and suppliers - at the Consumer Protection Police Division.

Their lawyer, Ratchaphol Sirisakhon, said the company had caused more than 400 people to suffer financial losses that could run to about 100 million baht.

A large number of victims filed fraud complaints with the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (ONCB).

The franchisor's disappearance came only one day before all 27 branches of Daruma Sushi closed their doors, citing the need to improve the server.

Daruma Sushi had offered e-vouchers for a salmon buffet at a steeply discounted 199 baht. Salmon lovers snapped up the offer, with some buying more than 2,000 e-vouchers and reselling them at a profit.

“Offering a promotion with a discount from 499 baht to 199 baht to boost sales of the e-voucher, which is normally sold five to ten per order, is highly suspicious from the beginning. It looks like a scam from the start,” OCPB secretary-general Prateep Charoengulpa said.

The use of e-vouchers instead of paper ones could also be aimed at making it easier to destroy evidence of fraud that may later be used against the suspect, he said.

A Daruma Sushi franchisee who asked not to be named said she was a regular customer of the sushi buffet restaurant before she decided to invest in a Daruma Sushi franchise that opened in Sai Mai district of Bangkok.

She was speaking after lodging a complaint with the Consumer Protection Police Division against Daruma Sushi Co yesterday along with another franchisee.

She said the company had assured her that all she needed to do was pay the franchise fee and wait to receive her share of profits from the restaurant, which it promised to pay monthly.

Upon agreeing to invest 2 million baht in the programme, she was required to transfer all daily income from the branch restaurant to the franchiser before the promised 10% of monthly profits would be transferred back to her, she said.

Although the restaurant didn’t make any profits, she received about 100,000 baht per month from the franchiser in the first two months, she said.

Last month the franchise owner announced in a LINE group chat of his franchisees that he had a problem finding supplies of salmon and afterwards lost contact with everyone in the group, she said.

Owner of Japanese sushi chain flees fraud claims

[armstrong]

Never even heard of the place.

[DrWilly]

They don’t sell happy meals.

[cyrille]

That actually wasn't bad.

[harrybarracuda]

Never even heard of the place.

And you may never again.

[misskit]

Daruma sushi restaurant chain owner nabbed at airport, faces fraud charges

Owner of the Daruma sushi restaurant chain in Thailand, Metha Chalingsuk, was apprehended at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport this morning (Wednesday) as he returned from a foreign trip.


Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej personally questioned the suspect at the airport, before taking him to the CIB head office.


At a press conference held this afternoon, the police said they do not intend to release Metha on police bail and will oppose any application made to the court for his release when he is transferred there tomorrow. About 100,000 baht in Metha’s bank accounts has been frozen, and US$20,000 in cash found on his person has been seized.


According to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop, Metha fled the country to evade creditors, to whom he allegedly owes as much as 100 million baht. He decided to return due to the pressure resulting from intensifying media scrutiny. The voucher scheme, he claimed, was a way to sustain cashflow in his business which was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.


Metha is facing consumer fraud, money laundering and computer crime charges after police received hundreds of complaints from consumers, franchisees, suppliers and brokers who had either bought pre-paid buffet vouchers or were in the business of supplying the chain.


Metha flew to the United States last week, with transits in Dubai on the way out and Taiwan on the way back, without notifying his employees, suppliers or customers in advance and with all 27 sushi outlets in Bangkok closed, including his pilot branch in Soi Udomsuk on Sukhumvit Road in Phra Khanong district. Many voucher holders were frustrated at finding them closed.


One franchisee said she paid 2.5 million baht to buy a franchise to open her restaurant selling the Daruma buffet. She added that the company sent her the supplies late before disappearing.


Daruma Sushi was established on January 12th, 2016 with five million baht registered capital. The company expanded into 27 outlets, most all of which are operated as franchisees.


According to the Department of Business Development, the company made one million baht profit from 39 million in revenue in 2019, 1.78 million from 43.76 million revenue in 2020 and 1.26 million baht profit from 45.62 million baht revenue in 2021.


Of late, the company had been running a promotional campaign offering buffet vouchers at 199 baht each, excluding VAT, on the condition that at least 5 vouchers were purchased. The price was said to be unrealistically low.

Daruma sushi restaurant chain owner nabbed at airport, faces fraud charges | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

[harrybarracuda]

A court has denied bail to the owner of the Daruma Sushi Japanese restaurant chain who has been charged with public fraud and a computer crime.
Metha Chalingsuk, 39, denied the charges when questioned by police from the Central Investigation Bureau after he was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport on Wednesday.
The public fraud charges are related to the closure of his chain's outlets and the sale of discounted vouchers.
Earlier, Mr Metha claimed his business had gone broke due to cashflow problems because of Covid-19.


While he was escorted to court on Thursday, the media shouted out questions including how he planned to compensate the losses to his customers and franchisees, or if he still has any assets to cover his debts. Mr Metha declined to answer.
His lawyer asked the Criminal Court to grant him bail but the judge denied the request.
Mr Metha has been detained by a court order allowing police to question him for 12 days. Police will detain him at Bangkok Remand Prison.
Police opposed bail due to concerns that Mr Metha could flee the country as the cost of the damage due to his alleged actions may run as high as 100 million baht, said Consumer Protection Police Division commander, Pol Maj Gen Anan Nanasombat.
Pol Maj Gen Anan said his team are investigating what happened to all the money involved.
Police initially found Mr Metha's Daruma Sushi account had transactions worth about 303.45 million baht, but currently only has one million baht.
Police will investigate if Mr Metha transferred the money to people close to him or spent the funds on assets, Pol Maj Gen Anan said.
They will also investigate if others were involved in the offending, he said.
Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej said the investigation team has been told they need to ensure the case is handled properly as there are many victims.
Police estimate there are up to 10,000, with around 400 already having lodged complaints.
Mr Metha left the country on a flight to Dubai on June 16.
The following day all 27 branches of Daruma Sushi closed, citing a need to improve the company's server.

Owner of Daruma Sushi denied bail, probe ongoing