The North East regional headquarters focused on the managers and employees. Yasuhira Hisashi, the regional president, reflected on the experience, "We did takikomi (a rice bake-off) to feed our employees so they would have the energy to tackle the problem." They secured housing through hotels, obtained living supplies for displaced employees, and allayed financial concerns for the regional franchisees that lost their stores. "If your employees are worried about finances in a time of crisis, they can't work the problem," said Yasuhira.