The Japanese noodle brand, which operates six restaurants in the English capital, is targeting Bromley and Kensington for the neighbourhood sites as well The Strand, where it will open its third flagship restaurant in late February 2023.
The group has also identified transport hubs as a key area for expansion and will open its first location at London Waterloo next month, followed by a second at Liverpool Street Station in mid February next year.
Its first regional site will open at the Oracle Shopping Centre in Reading, also in February 2023.
The expansion is part of a wider strategy by the company to move across Europe, with an ambition to open 150 kitchens across the continent by 2027, a move that it says will create 10,000 jobs. The 150 sites will comprise a mix of company-owned and franchise kitchens.
“We have always set out to be a brand that is available to all in the UK and not solely focused on London, so it’s fantastic to see Marugame Udon grow across the country,” says Keith Bird, Marugame Udon Europe CEO.
“We also have bold ambitions to become a household name in Europe and while we may not be as well known here as we are in Japan just yet, the opening of six new kitchens including our first UK regional site in Reading means that we are well on our way to achieving our mission to introduce udon to all.”
The company, which operates more than 850 restaurants in Japan alone, has made no secret of its ambitious expansion plans. Speaking earlier this year at BigHospitality’s R200 Conference in London, Bird said that the brand intended to branch out from London across the country. “We are absolutely not London-centric. We are on for Barnsley and beyond."
Marugame Udon made its UK and European debut in London last year with its flagship restaurant off Liverpool Street. It has since opened in the capital at The O2, Canary Wharf, St Christopher’s Place, Brent Cross, and Oxford Circus.
