Insight Q&A with the owners of GyuButa Shabu

1. Q: Who are the owners of GyuButa Shabu?
    A: There are four owners: Vithavin Srisukson,  Pitchayut Wattananon, Numpop Kulasopon and Punthanun Thanayupong.

Vithavin Srisukson

Pitchayut Wattananon

Numpop Kulasopon

Punthanun Thanayupong

2. Q: Who are you?
    A: We are senior students of Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Thammasat University.

3. Q: How did you get together?
    A: Pitchayut answered that we are friends in the same faculty since the beginning of freshman year. We have a lot of things in common for example we like to eat shabu and Japanese food and want to start our own business. We also have different ways of thinking that can support our business philosophy.

4. Q: Why did you choose shabu buffet business?
    A: Vithavin spoke with confidence that it is because shabu is a popular trend nowadays. People, especially students, always love eating buffet as a group activity for friends and family because it's fun!!! Thai people also have a taste for Japanese food, so we think it is an interesting business to start off, even though some of us have never been to Japan.

5. Q: How did the business get started?
    A:  Vithavin said that at the time when we think of doing shabu business, we heard that there is a new dormitory named J-Park and also its community mall which is the first community mall around Thammasat University where we all study. We think that this is a good oppotunity that match with our desire, so we talked to the owner of the dormitory and asked for a rental shop. We are so lucky that the owner likes to support student activities, so they accepted us as an tenant.

6. Q: How did everything work out?
    A: Numpop explained that we divided works into four parts for each of us to be in charge of which are human resource management, raw material, finance and building maintenance. Even though we have our main responsibility, we still help each other when it comes to decision making. We work together as a good partner.

7. Q: How can you deal with the disagreement in the ideas? 
    A: Numpop answered that we talk with reasons. We use those reasons to persuade one another. The most reasonable argument wins. As we talk, we understand each other more and more, so we think that those disagreement cannot make us misunderstand each other.

8. Q: How do you feel so far about your business?  
    A: Pitchayut said with smile on his face that we are very proud of ourselves. Our business is going well. There are new customer coming to try everyday and our old customers also come back. Now we try to build customer loyalty in order to maintain our sales and try to have a well thought out strategy plan for our customers and business.   

9. Q: What did you get so far from this business?
    A: Punthanun proudly answered that we get to work together in real life situation where we need to deal with real employees, spend the real money, and serve the real customers. It is not like a group work in class. It is totally different. We get to feel the sense of working in the real world which is not always easy. We learn to adapt ourselves and our strategic planning to be survive in this business. We learn from our real experiences.