Choosing Partners in America

The Most Common Mistake: Choosing Comfort Over Competence

Japanese operators entering the U.S. market face an immediate problem: they don't know anyone. In that condition, the first person who speaks Japanese, seems trustworthy, and is willing to help becomes extraordinarily appealing — regardless of whether they're actually the right fit for the work.

I've seen this mistake more times than I can count. An accountant who is wonderful at tax returns but has never worked with a restaurant P&L. A lawyer who speaks Japanese but specializes in immigration, not commercial leases. A local consultant who is genuinely kind but has no idea what your concept requires.

Being nice and being right for the job are completely separate qualities. You need both, but if you can only have one, competence wins.

What to Look for in a U.S. Restaurant Lawyer

Your lawyer needs to have done this specific work before — commercial restaurant leases, FDD review if you're entering a franchise, and entity structuring for foreign-owned businesses. Ask directly: how many restaurant clients do you currently have? How many Japanese or Asian-owned restaurants? Have you reviewed a Franchise Disclosure Document in the last 12 months?

A restaurant lease is not a standard commercial lease. The CAM charges, co-tenancy clauses, and personal guarantee terms are specific to the industry and require someone who knows what to push back on.

What to Look for in an Accountant

Your accountant needs to understand the restaurant cost structure: food cost percentage, labor cost percentage, occupancy ratio. They should be able to look at your P&L and immediately identify whether your numbers are in range for the market. If they can't do that, they're not the right accountant for a restaurant.

They also need to understand the reporting requirements for foreign-owned businesses in the U.S. This is a specific area of expertise — not every accountant has it.

The Local Partner Question

Some operators enter the U.S. with a local partner — an American-born operator or investor who knows the market. This can work very well or very badly, depending almost entirely on how clearly the roles and financial terms are defined before anything is signed.

The conversations that feel uncomfortable to have before signing are the exact conversations you must have. What happens if we disagree on direction? Who has final decision authority? Under what conditions can either party exit? Get clear answers and get them in writing.

One Question That Cuts Through

When evaluating any professional relationship — lawyer, accountant, consultant, partner — ask yourself: if this person told me something I didn't want to hear, would I trust their reasoning? If the answer is no, they are not the right partner, regardless of how competent they appear on paper. You need people who will tell you the truth, not people who will tell you what you want to hear.