TOKYO - In an effort to bring in more customers, Lawson, a convenience store chain in Japan, is turning its attention to fresh food, the Mainichi Daily News reports. Freshly prepared food cooked to order or available on a buffet will soon be available to consumers.

"By offering freshly made food, we want to attract not only young customers but also those who are reluctant to buy prepared food at convenience stores, such as housewives and elderly people," said Takeshi Niinami, president of Lawson Inc.

This marks the first time a major Japanese convenience store chain will add full-service cooking to its stores. The fresh foods will appear at around 200 locations in the Tokyo and Kansai areas during fiscal year 2010, with plans to expand it to 1,000 locations by fiscal year 2015. Future plans include bringing fresh foods to 3,000 Lawson outlets, or a third of the chain??s locations.

The food will be cooked upon order right in front of the customer, with most dishes ready in around 3 minutes. Sales of boxed food and rice balls at convenience stores has registered a year-on-year drop for 15 months in a row by April 2010, even while supermarkets have been selling more lower priced boxed meals.

Other Japanese convenience store chains, such as Seven-Eleven Japan Co. and Daily Yamazaki Co., also have added more in-store fresh food options.