Photo/Illutration The entrance to the Otemon outlet of the Hakata Shosuke “izakaya” pub blends in with the surrounding townscape in Fukuoka's Chuo Ward. Photo taken Oct. 11 (Takuya Miyano)

FUKUOKA--Location, location, location is the mantra that restaurateurs the world over live by.

But Shosuke Takata decided to take things a step further by deliberately camouflaging the entrance to his “izakaya” pub in Chuo Ward here and confusing customers with a door modeled after a vending machine.

First-timers to the Otemon outlet of his Hakata Shosuke eatery often end up calling the establishment for directions on how to get in--even when they are standing right in front.

Blending in with the surrounding townscape, the door to the uninitiated eye looks precisely like a vending machine. The fact that a genuine real vending machine is installed only 2 meters away, and lit up at night, only adds to the general confusion.

Inevitably, some passers-by, duped into believing the vending machine is real, attempt to insert coins to buy a drink.

Takata, 45, had the single wooden swinging door custom made at a cost of 800,000 yen ($7,000) to amuse customers.

On closer inspection, the door reveals the word "Push," but otherwise there is no store name, sign or even a menu displayed to give any hint of what's on the other side.

The pub opened in July last year, but even people in the neighborhood remained unsure where the eatery was located.

“I aimed for a real hideaway, not something that looks like a hideaway,” Takata said.

For a while, Takata feared the location of his premises might prove too confusing to attract a steady flow of customers. But now he is confident his business will prosper, especially after it featured on social media and television shows.

The pub's specialty is “cheese fondue yakitori,” Takata's own creation, comprising skewered pieces of grilled chicken and vegetable and a cheese sauce dip.

The Otemon outlet is the second eatery Takata has opened.

The door of the original eatery operating in Kasuga in the prefecture is modeled after an industrial refrigerator.

Takata said he is contemplating opening a third outlet, hoping it will also cause a buzz among customers.

“I already have a particular design for the door in mind that will make it absolutely impossible (for customers) to find,” he added.

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