Dean & DeLuca is one of the well-known upscale grocery store chains in America.
Founded in New York City’s SoHo district by Joel Dean, Giorgio DeLuca and Jack Ceglic back in September 1977, they were joined by Eugenio Pozzolini in September 1979 and are now currently owned by Thai luxury development company, Pace Development since 2014.
The concept. was to create a select shop where people can access delicious food all over the world and advocating “taste of life”, “joy of living”, “living with food” and “beauty of food”. And their original store was nicknamed “museum of fine food” and supposedly, were the first to sell radicchio, balsamic vinegar, dried mushrooms and sundried tomatoes.
With eight stores in the US (four in NY, one in DC, one in California, two in Hawaii) and numerous stores overseas (Japan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Macau and Bahrain) and are known for their caviar, smoked salmon, apricot mustard, cilantro pineapple salsa and their many gift baskets.
In Japan alone, there are 16 Dean & Deluca stores and in the US where the store is now seen more like an expensive grocery store with cool, niche gifts. In Japan, Dean & DeLuca is something different. Seen as different.
For one, the stores are quite different. Dean & Deluca locations are almost like a cooler Starbucks with better food. A combination of cafe/deli with classier selections than the typical sandwich.
Second, you can find Dean & Deluca shops at Narita International Airport and Osaka International Airport, you can find it at the BMW Group Terrace building next to the BMW showroom, you can find it in shopping complexes such as Ueno Parco, Cafe Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, in the metro station of Omotesando and more.
Some are stores packed with merchandise and some that look like minimalist stores that focus on the coffee or food.
But you can also find the Dean & Deluca shops that have both grocery/gift store and cafe/deli in one store at various locations throughout Japan and in other countries.
Third, the Dean & DeLuca brand is a status symbol. There are women, young and old, who carry their Dean & DeLuca bags on the train and subway with pride. Perhaps because Japan sees Dean & DeLuca as a store that attracts a certain demographic, typically those with money (as the case in the US), may it be a status symbol, Japan has welcomed Dean & DeLuca to the chagrin of a few American expats.
A few Americans may have their mouths open wide when they see the prices in the US but in Japan, the country has a different perspective towards consumerism. People willing to throwdown on expensive brand names when it comes to fashion and for some, they don’t mind paying much for the various gifts that are sold at Dean & DeLuca is part of the status.
And it’s the brand, the quality and the stores status that attracted the new owners of Dean & DeLuca.
What is interesting is how Sorapoj Techakraisri, of Pace Development Corp. bought Dean & Deluca in 2014.
In 2009, he was a Tokyo Midtown’s commercial complex seeking inspiration for his tower that he is building in Thailand and stopped at the Dean & Deluca restaurant and saw the potential of a gourmet supermarket in Thailand. He persuaded the owners to open a branch in Thailand but they refused, so he purchased his own license and built a store in Thailand.
Five years later, he bought the brand for $140 million.
While the challenges facing Dean & DeLuca’s stores are quite evident in the US (for those who read the news reports) and the problems as mentioned in an article with Bloomberg Businessweek with Thai banks have also been in the news, in Japan, it’s business as usual and it’s a thriving store that is often packed. Will what’s happening in the US affect Japan? That remains to be seen but right now, it’s still looked at as a quality, upscale brand and a goto place to shop and also to kick back for drinks or eat.
While I have shopped and purchased coffee at Dean & DeLuca, I have yet to try their deli, so I went to the Tokyo Midtown store during the Christmas holidays to check it out!
I ordered the holiday coffee that I absolute enjoyed several times of going there.
This was a little pricey meal for its size. Aside from the curry rice, I got a chicken with noodles dish and a salad with meat and potatoes served on a cardboard box. Picked up two of their small cakes which were very good.
For the most part, I actually enjoy the vibe of a Dean & DeLuca store. You can tell those who go in and are ready to throw some money down and those who are curious, they see the prices and they are out of the store quickly.
As I ate my meal, I saw a woman and her friends celebrating with their food and champagne purchased, but it was almost like watching an episode of “Real Housewives” as they were dressed quite fashionably, ordering a special meal and giving each other a toast while drinking Hecht & Bannier wine.
Overall, the meal was OK, I liked the coffee even better but for those who are very, very hungry, it is best to go elsewhere that will fill you up. Otherwise, I enjoyed my time at Dean & DeLuca because aside from the one store I have never heard of in California, Dean & DeLuca is not exactly well-known as most of the stores are in the East Coast.
The place was clean, customer service was very good and not a long wait for my food. But overall, I just dig Dean & DeLuca and wished we had more access to these stores in the West Coast (California) but if you are in Akasaka definitely give Dean & DeLuca at Tokyo Midtown (or at other locations) a chance.
