Louis Vuitton opens new restaurant and flagship store in Japan

Louis Vuitton launched its new business venture by opening its Osaka-based store in Japan, featuring a restaurant and café named Le Café V and Sugalabo V as its new flagship store.

The Louis Vuitton Maison Osaka Midosuji is a high-end eatery. Its menus were curated by chef Yosuke “Suga” Sugalabo, a well-known restaurant owner in Tokyo that was named by La Liste, a French restaurant ranking guide, as one of the best in the world.

Luca Solca, Managing Director of luxury goods research at Sanford Bernstein Schweiz, said the Louis Vuitton restaurant fits within a broader strategy of struggling retailers looking to lure shoppers away from their laptops and into the traditional way of shopping.

“It all goes in the direction of fueling in-store traffic. A restaurant can be a meeting point where you often go and spend time. I guess Osaka is a city important enough, but not vital, where such an experiment can be conducted safely,” Solca said.

“This new four-floor store reflects Osaka’s heritage as Japan’s most important port and highlights the city’s growing role as an international travel hub,” said Louis V.