JAPANESE RAMEN CHAIN EYES MONGOLIA, GREECE IN OVERSEAS EXPANSION

A ramen restaurant chain operator in Japan is going off the beaten path to target markets including Mongolia and Greece, with unique menu tweaks such as use of lamb in Mongolia.

Tentakaku, which operates the Menya Iroha ramen restaurant chain based in Toyama Prefecture, plans to open its first outlet in Ulaanbaatar, where it will feature lamb for toppings and soups -- an unconventional choice for the Japanese noodle-in-soup bowl.

"Lamb is a favorite meat in Mongolia, and our trial ramen was received very favorably," according to a spokesperson.

Tentakaku currently operates 10 overseas outlets, including in Hong Kong and Thailand, but it is setting out on an accelerated overseas expansion plan, which includes entry into the European market. Overall, it plans to roll out 20 new restaurants each year for a goal of at least 100 outlets by the end of 2020.

The game plan is to strike franchise deals with local companies to open outlets in Greece, Mongolia and Taiwan by the end of fiscal 2016 for an accelerated expansion in the respective areas.

In Greece, the company is negotiating a franchise deal with a local sushi-roll restaurant operator to open its first European outlet in Athens.

The Japanese company aims to use a chicken baitang soup in its flagship ramen menu as it believes the thick, chicken bone-derived broth should appeal to Greek customers, who it thinks are not familiar with the traditional dark, soy sauce-based broth.

The company is in a final phase of negotiations with a local partner in Mongolia, according to the spokesperson.

By the end of December, three outlets will be opened in Taipei, where the company will tie up with a major local comprehensive food company to offer the black ramen, a popular ramen variety in Japan that originates in Toyama Prefecture, and miso ramen, seasoned with soybean paste.

A total of 40 openings are planned in the next five years in Taiwan.

Source:http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Japanese-ramen-chain-eyes-Mongolia-Greece-in-overseas-expansion