Birth of a Brand New "Free Service" Integrating Mystery Shopping, Consulting, and PR! Professionals, Famous Chefs, and Charismatic Entrepreneurs Unite to Support Restaurants and Hotels from Yokohama!

Augment Co., Ltd., which has a long track record of investing in and producing popular restaurants and sports facilities, has partnered with Media Trading Co., Ltd. to launch a support project for restaurants and other businesses facing challenges like rising prices and labor shortages.

We support those who want to expand their activities nationwide and provide quality goods but lack the budget for expensive consulting or PR. Please pay attention to this new service where dreams and networks expand.

### 1. What is Mystery Shopping?
Mystery shopping is a method to improve customer service, where investigators experience services as ordinary consumers without revealing their identity. This allows businesses to understand the usual service and store conditions from a customer's perspective. However, some existing services use unvetted participants who provide biased or poor-quality feedback just for free meals. This service addresses those issues.

### 2. Birth of a Brand New Integrated Service
With over 20 years of experience in consulting, we rely only on strictly selected members. We focus on 'praise points' to boost staff motivation while providing gentle and clear guidance for improvement. If requested, we also handle HP improvement, menu development, and promotion material production (posters, flyers, etc.).

Through a partnership with 'Staliss Yokohama,' a community-based web media with a strong reputation for women's perspectives and PR, we created a service that provides free mystery shopping, mini-consulting, and consistent promotion (articles and SNS posts). We also provide free recruitment support for those struggling with labor shortages.

Please note: To maintain the trust of readers, Staliss Yokohama will only publish articles for businesses they can truly recommend. If a shop is not yet ready, we support them until they improve, even offering repeated free surveys.

### 3. Investigators are Charismatic Leaders like 'Tigers of Money'
Our unique strength is that charismatic entrepreneurs and world-famous chefs participate as volunteer mystery shoppers. They do this because of long-term trust and a desire to give back to the younger generation and hardworking businesses. If they like a store, there's a higher chance they will use it for private or business dining. For famous figures, shops can even post on SNS that 'Mr./Ms. XX visited us!'

### 4. Application and Scout Format
Our goal is not just to 'select' like Michelin, but to support the improvement of 'unpolished gems' and vigorously promote wonderful shops that are not yet well-known. We aim to help businesses grow to a level where they might one day be chosen by Michelin. New stores are welcome! After a preliminary screening, we will contact selected stores for a meeting before the free service begins.

### 5. Revitalizing the Region
If you wish to become a beloved shop, increase sales, or utilize unique PR methods, the Augment consulting team and the Staliss Yokohama PR team will back you up with all our hearts. Please contact us via the Staliss Yokohama inquiry form.

**Flow and Benefits:**
1. Preliminary screening for all applicants, including new stores.
2. Scout offers may be sent to stores that pique our interest.
3. Investigator names/titles are disclosed only to stores that pass screening.
4. Usually a 2-person team (one charismatic leader + one reporter).
5. Service is free, but stores cover actual costs (meals, stay, travel).
6. Access to top-tier producers and designers who have led single shops to national expansion.
7. Introduction to reliable influencers at cost price.
8. Opportunities for investigators (like 'Tigers of Money' presidents) to become advisors or investors.
9. Potential comic essay features about the shop.
10. Free job vacancy listings.

*This press release is part of the 'April Dream' project by PR TIMES.*