HER SECOND ATTEMPT AT SELLING SANDOS
In 2019, Sawaya relocated to Singapore after accepting a communications manager role at the now-closed Japanese restaurant-bar, Yakan Hikou, in Concorde Shopping Mall. The chirpy millennial said that her favourite thing about working in Singapore is its more relaxed pace in comparison to her home country.
“I feel that people are more relaxed here. In Japan, I always felt like I was caught in the rat race. I plan to stay and work here for as long as possible,” said Sawaya, who currently holds a work visa.
When Yakan Hikou’s business was affected by COVID-related restrictions, Sawaya proposed that the restaurant-bar switch to selling moedan sandwiches instead. The concept ran for about six months, but the pandemic ultimately led to the restaurant’s closure in 2020.
Fast forward to May this year, Sawaya joined izakaya Dosukoi x Donpachi as a customer service manager. Noting that the restaurant’s bar area was unused in the daytime (the izakaya, known for its sashimi and tempura dishes as well as extensive sake selection, opens from 5pm to 3am), she revisited the sando concept.
“In the day, they don’t use this space at all so I thought it’d be a good idea to use it to sell sandos. My boss agreed to let me try it out,” she shared. Sawaya now works full-time at Manpuku Sando, where she makes all the sandwiches while an assistant helps to serve customers.
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