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A Little Monkey Business

By CNN

Published: Tue, November 25, 2008 - 1:10 pm Last Updated: Tue, November 25, 2008 - 1:12 pm

Short URL: http://wkrg.com/a/21266/

A restaurant in Japan is swinging into action--- to guard against a recession. It's changing the face of customer service--- with a little monkey business. Kyung Lah explains.

When you order a beer at Kayabuki Tavern... The waiter scampering to your table... Is in a monkey suit. A real one.

From the hot hand towels... To the ashtrays...To taking your money and delivering your change...

5 year old fukuchan and 12 year old yatchan are working the tables, unlike Thousands of food service employees who are expected to lose their jobs this Year.

It's tough times for tokyo's 160,000 restaurants. Industry analysts say 2008 Will be a record-breaker for the number of restaurant bankruptcies. Kayabuki Says sure, it's relying on a gimmick. But that gimmick is keeping them open.

Because of my monkeys, we get all kinds of customers, says the tavern owner. We're not affected by the economic downturn. They're even bringing in tourists from around the globe. It's crazy.

The fenners, from st. Joseph, michigan, saw the waiter monkeys on youtube and Just had to see it for themselves as part of their tokyo vacation. Not exactly something they'd see back home.

No i don't think they'd allow it. I see absolutely nothing wrong with it but The animal, what would be the word, rights people, probably wouldn't allow it.

The owner gets around that by working his pet monkeys only two hours a day. Health department inspectors gave this the green light, as long as the monkeys Wear clothes, says otsuka. Now they're a nightly fixture...

Even helping to answer the phone. All they ask is a soybean or two from customers-- who are eating up the monkey Show and the taverns' daily dishes.

And for one restaurant surviving a global economic slowdown... That's something to cheer about.