There's a new king of specialty restaurants at Royal Caribbean, as Chops Grille, a long-time favorite, has been dethroned.
While speaking during a webinar for travel agents, Royal Caribbean Vice President Food & Beverage, Linken D'Souza, shared an anecdote that Chops Grille is no longer Royal Caribbean’s top specialty dining venue by sheer number of guests served.
"Izumi is actually the most popular restaurant by volume in the fleet," Mr. D'Souza said while speaking to travel agents in the conference call.
"Especially teppanyaki," he explained. "It's a really wonderful experience. I think it's a perfect experience while you're on vacation."
The change shouldn't be that much of a surprise given how wide and far Izumi has spread across the fleet.
Chops Grille's reign
Chops Grille had been synonymous with specialty dining on Royal Caribbean ships, as it's been a concept that goes back decades.
Before specialty dining became as popular as it is today, Royal Caribbean cruise ships might have only had one or two specialty restaurants, and Chops Grille was one of them.
It's dominance at the top is no secret. It's available on every single ship in the fleet, serves a type of food that's quite familiar and appealing to all passengers, and it's had a consistent experience.
In my experience, Chops is often the first specialty restaurant people try when sailing with Royal Caribbean. I believe that's because it has a warm ambiance that evokes "date night" or a special evening out.
Izumi's rise to the top
Izumi is no "new kid on the block", but it's made steady progress to reach this point.
The first Izumi location opened on Oasis of the Seas in 2009, with demand for sushi on a ship increasing ever since then.
Royal Caribbean expanded Izumi's size, gave it better locations, and added new dining options that went beyond sushi.
The first Izumi location was on deck 16 near the Windjammer on Oasis of the Seas. Since then, Royal Caribbean has put Izumi front and center on its ships.
The addition of hibachi teppanyaki shows has been an incredibly popular change.
Izumi hibachi is a teppanyaki-style restaurant, which is sometimes referred to as a "Japanese steakhouse." The experience combines cooking and service into one fun performance.
Today, there are to-go sushi counters, and even a chef-driven experience too.
Izumi's rise in popularity isn't just luck. Izumi Master Chef Travis Kamiyama has over 30 years experience working in Japanese cuisine.
He attributes the popularity of Izumi to creating a really good dining experience for guests, "I think the consistency and becoming iconic."
"And it was all by guests raving about it and all the numbers showing it. And that's what it was all about. It was all purely proven."
The experiential dining trend has helped too
Without a doubt, the hibachi experience came about at the same time the cruising public has started to embrace experiences that simply go beyond cuisine.
Mr. D'Souza calls it "eatertainment", and it's something Izumi started with its hibachi, "This concept of entertainment is something that we try to fit into all of our experiences."
Royal Caribbean has leaned into eatertainment more and more on its ships, with restaurants that offer more than food. The idea is to combine dining with a show element that fosters memory making experiences.
Royal Caribbean sees themselves competing against major tourist destinations on land, such as Las Vegas or New York.
"I don't want you to get bored when you're having dinner," Mr. D'Souza said in an earlier interview about Royal Caribbean's dining strategy.
"We’ve been leaning into this notion of eatertainment where we’re really trying to blend entertainment and great dining together."
Examples of the restaurants include:
- Mason Jar: Southern American cooking meets fun country music bar
- Empire Supper Club: Swanky jazz club pairs food, cocktails and music
- Royal Railway: Immersive digital experience that feels like you're dining on a classic train
The results speak for themselves, as these restaurants are often the hottest ticket to book on any ship that has it.
The Lincoln Park supper club has a $200 per person price tag, and is "sold out every night" on Star of the Seas.
This trend has had the side effect of elevating the popularity of Izumi, because guests can dine as a family and have a fun meal with a high chance it creates positive memories.
"If you think about Lincoln Park Supper Club, when you think about Izumi, it's about the fun and enjoyment and happiness that those experiences create while you're on board our ship," Mr. D'Souza explained.
"It's all about the happiness, whether that's ice cream running down your face or the chef that's tossing a piece of chicken for you to catch."
