San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden

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San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden

• By
• Akiko Suzuki
• Alicia Thorndike
• Megan Olmsted
• Client
• San Francisco Recreation Park Department

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Japanese Tea Garden
Source from Holy Mountain Trading Company
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The Japanese Tea Garden

• Oldest U.S. public Japanese garden
• Originated as Japanese Village exhibit in the
  1894 California Midwinter International
  Exposition
• Recognized as one of SFs top attractions

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Japanese Tea garden
Source from IneTours.com
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Policy Problem

• Assessment of Garden Policies needed
• Admissions
• - Entry Fee
• - Group Discounts
• Possible Future Additions
• - Expanded Menu at Tea House
• - Cultural Events

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Research Methods

• Background Research
• Survey
• Best Practices
• Interviews
• Observation

Source from IneTours.com
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Visitor Survey

• 150 Surveys
• At Japanese tea garden
• During weekdays and weekends
• Questions
• - Visitor Information
• - Admission
• - Recommendation
• - Demographic

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Findings and Recommendations

• Admissions
• Group Discount
• Gift Shop
• Expanded Menu at Tea House
• Cultural Events

Source the San Francisco tea garden
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Views on Admission Price
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Admission at Japanese Gardens

• San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden
• Adult 3.50
• Hakone Garden in Saratoga, CA
• Adult 4.00
• Portland Japanese Garden
• Adult 8.00

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Who is interested in increasing admission price ?

• One gardener thinks the admission price should be
  raised because
• SF Japanese Tea Garden is 5 to 6 value garden
• Other gardens are more expensive
• Need more money to improve the garden

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Recommendation Increase Admission price

• 13.4 of people think that the admission is
  Expensive.
• Compare to the other gardens, admission at San
  Francisco Japanese Tea Garden is inexpensive
• For improving tea garden

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Findings on tour groups

• Large groups cause delays at entrance window
• Average length of stay of tour buses was 34
  minutes
• 4 of 7 tour buses stayed 20 minutes or less
• Tourists perceive San Francisco to be expensive

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Recommendation Group Discounts

• Recommend group discounts to reduce lines at
  admissions
• Encourage visitors from tour buses to enter
  Garden by including it in tour package
• Tour bus drivers interviewed favor group discounts

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Gift Shop Findings

• 115 of 145 respondents to gift shop question did
  not purchase anything
• Largest number of people who bought something
  spent between 5 and 10 dollars

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Money Spent at Gift Shop
, 12.5
2 or Less, 18.8
, 12.5
18.8
, 37.5
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Reasons for Not Buying at Gift Shop

• 15 of 76 respondents planned not to buy or cited
  financial reasons
• 11 people not interested
• 11 people said goods too touristy or commonplace
• Time constraints, not needed, and too crowded

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Recommendation research addition of more unique
merchandise

• Examples

Magnet, 4.50
Canvas bag, 21.50
From www.hakone.com
From www.hakone.com
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Expanded Menu at the Tea House
12 people did not respond
48 people said no
90 people said yes
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Who is Interested in an Expanded Menu?

• 11 out of the 17 San Francisco residents
• 22 out of the 32 Bay Area residents
• 57 out of the 89 tourists

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Did the People Who are Interested in an Expanded
Menu Visit the Tea House?

• 59 people surveyed did not visit the Tea House,
  but 41 of those individuals did want an expanded
  menu

Source San Francisco Chronicle www.sfgate.com
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Do other Japanese Gardens Offer Many Food
Selections?

• Portland Japanese Tea Garden No restaurant or
  cafe
• Hakone Garden in Saratoga Green tea is served on
  the weekends during July and August
• San Diego Friendship Garden Offers tea, sushi,
  Japanese noodles, rice bowls, miso soup, salads,
  and snacks

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Who is Opposed to an Expanded Menu?

• The two gardeners see an expanded menu resulting
  in
• An increase in litter
• An additional attraction of animals
• A further problem with nightly trash
• Picnicking in the garden, which is prohibited
• The Concessionaire thinks a chef would cost too
  much money, especially in the off season.

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Recommendations Do Not Offer an Expanded Menu

• Given that 69.4 of the individuals who want an
  expanded menu did not visit the Tea House there
  is no clear indication that these individuals
  would enter the Tea House.
• An expanded menu would most likely result in
  additional trash and animal problems.

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Cultural Events

• The San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden currently
  does not offer cultural events.
• Portland Japanese Garden, San Diego Friendship
  Garden, and Hakone Garden all offer cultural
  events such as
• Tea Ceremonies
• Japanese Educational Exhibits and Demonstrations

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What Cultural Events do Visitors Want?
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Who is Interested in Cultural Events?

• 10 out of the 17 San Francisco residents
• 22 out of the 34 Bay Area residents
• 63 out of the 99 tourists
• 33 out of the 61 people who have been to the
  garden before

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Recommendations The Addition of Tea Ceremonies,
Traditional Japanese Dancing, and Taiko Drumming

• We recommend the garden find space for these
  three cultural events
• Current Available space
• In front of the Pagoda or in front of the main
  gate
• Possible future space
• Move the gift shop outside the gardens or
  somewhere else and use that space for cultural
  events
• Build a venue or create open space in the back of
  the garden for cultural events

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Thank You!
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