6 Advantages of Running a Japanese Restaurant Franchise

Japanese cuisine has grown increasingly popular over the last decade or so, giving more and more investors the chance to run their own successful business. Here, we outline the six major advantages of joining a Japanese restaurant franchise.

In recent years, Japanese food has emerged as a growing force in the UK culinary scene. But there are many benefits of running your own business in the Japanese restaurant franchise sector…

Advantages of running a Japanese restaurant franchise

1. There’s a large market for Japanese food – The increase in restaurants selling Japanese food demonstrates how Brits have fallen in love with the tasty cuisine. To unearth a few statistics – 20 percent of people like Japanese cuisine and 68 percent of the people in this category now regularly eat it at restaurants. What’s more, between 2010 and 2015, the number of Japanese restaurants in the UK grew by 67 percent, far outpacing their Chinese and Thai counterparts. It’s likely this trajectory will continue into the future, as consumers become more aware of different cuisines and new restaurants have the opportunity to emerge into the marketplace.
2. The market is set to increase in the coming years – Clearly, the Japanese food sector is experiencing a surge in popularity, but only around 23 percent of consumers have actually tried Japanese cuisine, so there’s still considerable room for growth. Also, 51 percent of customers who visit Japanese restaurants are aged between 18 and 34. This means younger generations are driving the food craze, which bodes well for the industry’s future, as it’s likely younger customers will continue buying Japanese cuisine for years to come.
3. Japanese food is varied – When you set up a Japanese restaurant, you can attract customers of all kinds by serving a variety of different dishes. Everyone has heard of sushi, but most restaurants also sell a wide range of other food types, from ramen to udon, tonkatsu to tempura. Depending on the Japanese restaurant franchise you choose to join, you can either specialise in one type of cuisine or serve a whole host of different options. Marugame Udon, for example, serves delicious udon noodle dishes to give an authentic taste of Japan.
4. There’s scope to start something unique – If you’re interested in running your own franchise unit in the Japanese food sector, you may come up against a lot of competition – like any restaurant would. But Japanese cuisine is diverse and many restaurant chains have carved out a niche by developing a truly unique business model. By doing this, you can offer a product other businesses cannot. Take SushiSamba, for instance; this popular London restaurant fuses Japanese, Peruvian and Brazilian cuisines to offer something different in a crowded market.
5. You can benefit from the healthy eating movement – As consumers become increasingly aware of the impact their food choices have on their mind and body, restaurants offering healthy dishes can make the most of rising demand. According to research, 60 percent of consumers choose to eat Japanese food because it’s healthy, so there’s great potential to benefit from the healthy eating movement as a Japanese restaurant franchisee.
6. There are many successful Japanese restaurant franchises – If you’re thinking about joining a franchise, you’ll be able to choose between a number of great options. For a full rundown of the best investment opportunities out there, see our article: What Japanese Restaurant Franchises Are There?

>> Read more:

• Find a Location for Your Restaurant
• How to Get Funding for Your Restaurant
• Regulations and Licences Required to Open a Restaurant
• Understanding Your Target Market for Your Restaurant
• Hiring Employees for Your Restaurant
• Choosing a Concept for Your Restaurant

The current state of the Japanese food sector

We’ve already covered many of the changes in the Japanese restaurant franchise sector, but let’s take a quick look at shopping habits, which reflect consumers’ changing food preferences.

Sushi has become a standard feature in supermarket fridges and meal sets are now an increasingly common lunchtime choice for students, office workers and other young professionals. Of course, traditional options like sandwiches remain the most popular, but – demonstrating just how lucrative the Japanese food market is – Sainsbury’s still sells around 90,000 packs of sushi a week.

The statistics all point towards Japanese restaurant franchises as lucrative investment options, as Brits are evidently becoming fans of the healthy cuisine.

Join a Japanese restaurant franchise today

If you’d like to run your own Japanese restaurant business, you may be interested in Marugame Udon. This successful franchise is on the lookout for new franchisees at the moment.

Marugame Udon

This Japanese food franchise’s primary offering is its fresh udon, which are made on site. As well as serving the popular thick wheat flour noodles, it also serves omusubi rice balls, tempura and many other traditional dishes in a canteen-style environment. Customers can help themselves to these delicacies just as they would in a busy restaurant in Tokyo. The efficient service means that orders can be dished up in as little as 30 seconds and, therefore, up to 256 customers per hour can be served a delicious meal. Having already launched more than 1,000 restaurants in Japan, South-East Asia, Australia and California in the US, Marugame Udon now has its sights on the UK, meaning that business-minded British entrepreneurs have the opportunity to help the brand’s expansion.

• Becoming a Marugame Udon franchisee: The Japanese restaurant franchise is looking for area development franchisees who are prepared to open at least five locations. It asks that candidates are business-minded and eager to play a key part in the brand’s growth. Learn more and register your interest, at Marugame Udon franchise.
• How much you need to invest: In order to become a Marugame franchisee, you need to make a minimum investment of £250,000 and a total investment of £500,000.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll be designated your own exclusive territory and granted access to the comprehensive training programme. Marugame Udon is completely dedicated to brand development, so it is constantly updating the operations manual, promotional materials and website.

>> Read more:

• SushiSamba London: Does it franchise in the UK?
• Sushi Bar Franchises: What is there?
• 8 Things to Ask Yourself Before Opening a Sushi Restaurant Franchise
• No Better Time Than Now to Open a Sushi Franchise in London. Here's Why
• What Japanese Restaurant Franchises Are There?

Join the restaurant sector

If you’d like to widen your research parameters and take a look at the restaurant sector as a whole, why not browse our list of restaurant franchises currently welcoming new investors?