The Japanese ramen brand, Shoryu Ramen, has announced that Bowl Life Limited will open its first UK franchised restaurant in London.
Bowl Life, a subsidiary of Restaurants Inc. (a development vehicle founded by investors Krishan Katyal and Dominic Ford), plans to open at least three restaurants over the next few years and has ambitions to look beyond London for future development, capitalising on the continued growth and appeal of authentic Japanese cuisine.
Shoryu Kensington Bar rendering.
Katyal says he has partnered with Ford Consultancy Group to develop the business and they will provide the operational and management expertise for the restaurants.
The first franchised outlet, a 70-seater restaurant, is due to open this summer on Kensington High Street, amongst other well-known food operators and close to The Design Centre.
Katyal comments: “We wanted to be in an area alongside some of the best restaurant brands and operators because we see Shoryu as a market leader, serving outstanding Hakata tonkotsu ramen and with a really high quality fit out. This area of London has a really nice, buzzy vibe throughout the day and evening and has become a very popular destination area for eating and drinking.”
Dominic Ford’s Consultancy Group reports that it is already working directly with Shoryu on its UK and international franchise development. The consultancy said it had confidence in the brand and the quality of the operation, and the opportunity to partner with Shoryu’s first franchisee was too good to miss.
Ford adds: “We first met Shoryu founder Tak Tokumine in March 2019 and were immediately taken by his genuine passion and belief in Shoryu’s success being down to creating and serving truly authentic ramen dishes – no cutting corners or taking shortcuts to reduce costs. This insistence on quality of ingredients and production really resonated with us and is clearly evident across all of their current restaurants. We are absolutely thrilled to be part of the future growth of this fantastic business.”
Tokumine commented: “We are excited to be welcoming our first Shoryu franchise partner Bowl Life Ltd this year, what is especially unique about this opportunity is the chance to work in conjunction with Ford Consultancy to help us realise our vision in bringing our authentic Hakata tonkotsu ramen and famed Japanese hospitality across London and beyond.”
shoryuramen.com