Servers with Dementia Will Surprise You at This Tokyo Restaurant

Tokyo, the city with the most Michelin stars in the world

Are you an adventurous diner?

Would you eat at a place called Cheesy Does it? How about Lord of the Fries? Poopsies Food and Drink? Would you consider dining at Baguetteaboutit?

If your answer is “yes,” then you probably have a sense of humor, a spirit of adventure and a healthy appetite.

The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is whispering a siren song luring you to a different kind of place with a different kind of vision. Set in Tokyo (the city with the most Michelin stars in the world), The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is a place that surprises and delights — not only with its food but also with its satisfying servings of compassion and purpose.

You can order any comfort food you want, from rice and omelets covered with tomato sauce to spicy noodles served in a bowl.

But you can only guess at what you’ll be served.

That’s because here at The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders all the servers are elderly dementia patients.

Sound like a zany Broadway play?

Actually, it’s a real-life, off-beat idea that works.

Journalist-Turned-Restaurateur Gets Idea from Dementia Doctor 

Shiro Oguni was a broadcast journalist in Toyko who interviewed a man named Yukio Wada. In his 30-year career of running a group home for people with dementia, Mr. Wada had observed that dementia patients improved when they were able to keep performing activities like cooking, cleaning and shopping. Being active allowed these people to feel unconfined and gave them the feeling that they were still living life.

Oguni was impressed with both Mr. Wada and his research. Three years after talking to Wada, Ogun opened a pop-up restaurant in this “foodie” city and staffed it with an older wait staff, all of whom have dementia. They also sometimes exhibit a joyful spontaneity.

On any given day, you may see a server asking a customer, “Now, what do I do?” and the customer will tell them, “You’re here to help us order food.” A laughing waitress, reminded of her task, goes on about the business of delivering the order to the young, professional staff of chefs.

Customers noticed the unique flavor of the establishment. The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders combines food with forgetfulness. It mixes cooking with concern for the ever-growing number of people who suffer from some form of dementia.

Soon, the restaurant was trending on Twitter.

The Rising Number of Alzheimer Sufferers

The wait staff of dementia patients is easy to come by. In Japan, more than 4.6 million people are living with Alzheimer’s. With the rise of elder abuse, the lack of social welfare programs, and a huge debt, Japan is struggling with how to care for this growing segment of the population. In Japan, the number of Alzheimer patients is projected to be 7.3 million by the year 2025.

Credit: jonlieffmd.com

While customers at The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders may have to nudge the servers’ memories occasionally, and while they may not get exactly what they ordered, they also experience some unexpected surprises. Once, a server went to the piano and without planning or announcement began to play. She was joined by her husband, who grabbed his viola and accompanied her. When the spontaneous “flash” concert ended, everyone in the restaurant broke out in riotous applause. From the chefs who were working, to the diners at the tables, to the other wait staff, there was no sound but that of crazy, loud clapping.

It doesn’t matter what’s on the plate. The fleeting glimpse of clarity for a person lost in the fog of dementia feeds the soul. That’s nourishment that’s even more essential than feeding the stomach, however tasty the food.