Fans of Yoshinoya's beef bowls thronged the fast-food chain Monday to get their first taste of the popular dish in more than 2 1/2 years since it was scratched from the menu due to the ban on U.S. beef.
The "gyudon" creation of shaved beef on rice is Yoshinoya D&C Co.'s signature dish. Monday's cattle call was just a one-day promotion to whet customers' appetites before the item returns in full force in December. About 1 million servings were offered Monday at its 1,000 outlets across Japan.
Due to limited supplies, however, Yoshinoya plans to serve beef bowls full time only at the Tsukiji outlet in Tokyo, starting Tuesday. Another one-day campaign is planned at its 20 outlets in Hokkaido on Thursday, while two more nationwide campaigns lasting five days each are planned at the beginning of October and November.