The owners of a Japanese sushi chain targeted in a series of pranks that has sparked hygiene concerns have devised a digital conveyor belt to serve food.

An Akindo Sushiro Co., which operates the Sushiro chain, announced in a recent statement that three Sushiro stores will replicate the sushi experience by playing animations on touchscreens fitted to every table, rather than placing sushi on rotating conveyor belts for customers to pick up.

A cartoon sushi and other food is shown on a screen that customers can tap to order. On a separate conveyor belt from the kitchen, the sushi will be delivered directly to their table.

On Tuesday, the company began piloting a “next-generation shop experience” at three stores in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.

Since the beginning of the year, the chain has been the target of a series of pranks dubbed “sushi terrorism”.

Pranksters filmed themselves licking shared soy sauce bottles or tampering with food rotating on conveyor belts at the chain’s restaurants in response to viral videos.

Earlier this year, NHK reported that Akindo Sushiro was suing a high school student for 67 million yen ($480,000) after social media footage showed him licking his finger before touching a plate of sushi as it passed.

In response to the release of the video showing his actions at a Sushiro outlet in the central city of Gifu, the company claims it lost 16 billion yen ($115 million), leading to a sharp drop in customers and a decline in the company’s stock.