The No. 1 udon noodle restaurant chain from Japan is coming to London

30 June, 2020

Capdesia Group Limited and Toridoll Holdings Corporation are pleased to announce the formation of a joint venture to launch the Marugame Udon brand in London. The new company becomes the master franchisor for the UK and Europe region and will be led by Keith Bird, CEO, a highly experienced restaurant industry executive with UK and European experience who's been appointed to lead an ambitious roll out of the brand. Plans are underway to launch the first restaurant in London during the first half of 2021 and then open more units through a blend of owned and franchise operations, working with multi-unit/brand operators in the UK and in Europe.

Abe Matamoros, Co-founder and Managing Director at Capdesia: "We're very excited to embark on this new venture with Toridoll and their extraordinary team. With its delicious noodle and fresh tempura offering, the Marugame Udon brand has become one of the most exciting growth concepts in the Asian category today and it’s not often one gets to partner with the clear leader in the category."

About Marugame Udon

Marugame Udon is the leading udon noodles and tempura restaurant chain not just in Japan but the world, with over 800 restaurants in the home country and a further 250 internationally - mainly in Asia but also in the US. This will be the first launch of the brand in the UK and Europe. “Marugame Udon is dedicated to providing authentic Japanese udon noodles that taste exactly the way they’ve been served in Japan for hundreds of years. Their chefs cook fresh, handmade noodles and complementary tempura options in open kitchens in front of customers every day, all in keeping with traditional Japanese Omotenashi hospitality,” says Keith Bird. “What we also know is that Japanese food has gone mainstream in the UK over the past couple of decades. We feel the market is now ready to embrace a more authentic and specialised offer but at a very affordable price point - essentially a fast-casual offer, in terms of quality of food and experience, but closer to QSR prices.”

About Toridoll Holdings Corporation

Toridoll Holdings Corporation is the creation of the highly accomplished visionary entrepreneur Takaya Awata who started his first restaurant in Kakogawa, Japan, back in 1985. Today, Toridoll is a public company listed on the Tokyo stock exchange with over 1,700 restaurants and annual system revenues of GBP 1.2 billion, and is a blend of over 30 different brands in 40 countries. Closer to home, Wok to Walk and Shoryu are part of the Toridoll portfolio of brands. 

About Capdesia Group Limited

Capdesia Group Limited is a London-and-Brussels-based private equity firm that focuses exclusively on the restaurant space by investing in emerging and scalable brands in the UK and Europe. As part of their investment strategy, they also facilitate the launch of international brands in the region. Aside from providing creative capital solutions, what makes Capdesia unique is the depth of operational expertise of their Operating Partners and how they leverage that experience to the benefit of their portfolio companies in support of expansion, including franchising and international.