Japanese restaurant group Skylark to end 24-hour trading

Japanese corporate restaurateur Skylark Holdings says it will discontinue 24-hour trading of 150 stores by April.

Skylark, one of Japan’s largest family-owned restaurant operators, owns the Jonathan’s and Gusto chains, among other brands. It launched 24-hour trading in 1972 and according to the company, about 10 percent of its daily revenue comes in between midnight and 6 am.

The company says while round-the-clock trading appeals to customers, the increasing costs of labor makes it less viable to trade all night. Instead, it will focus on peak meal times.

In total, Skylark owns 560 eateries across the country. Many of the other stores will have trading hours trimmed by a couple of hours a day to reduce labor costs.