Japanese izakaya chain Torikizoku to expand into HK and Taiwan

Japanese izakaya chain Torikizoku (鳥貴族) is entering Hong Kong through a partnership with local food company Four Seas Mercantile (四洲集團) by March.

Torikizoku has over 600 branches in Japan, including 192 in Tokyo and 145 in Osaka. The brand is known for the uniform pricing of its products, while it prides itself on using domestically sourced chicken as the main ingredient and offering an array of dishes such as yakitori skewers, teppanyaki, and fried foods.

Under the franchise agreement, Torikizoku will be operated by Four Seas Mercantile, using the Torikizoku's trademark and technology. Meanwhile, Torikizoku will provide operational support for the venture.

According to a statement from Torikizoku, the franchise agreement is to expand its grilled chicken skewer restaurant presence in Hong Kong. To ensure smooth business operations in Hong Kong, factors such as Four Seas Mercantile's established business foundation, prior collaboration experience with Japanese companies and its focus on strengthening the food and beverage industry were taken into consideration. A final agreement will be issued in March 2024.

Four Seas Mercantile's main business is food distribution, which includes operating specialty stores such as Japanese snacks brand Okashi Land (零食物語), Japanese ice cream shops and cookie shops in Hong Kong. In terms of culinary sector, Four Seas Mercantile operates Shanghai vegetarian restaurant Kung Tak Lam (功德林) and Japanese restaurant Shiki Etsu (四季．悅) among others.

Meanwhile, Torikizoku has also established a joint venture in Taiwan with City Chain Food (台灣都城實業), a group company of the Dachan Great Wall Group (大成長城). The company is named as 鳥貴成.

Aligning with Torikizoku’s long-term goal of becoming a global chicken food company, Torikizoku has conducted surveys to identify major countries in East and Southeast Asia to develop partnerships for overseas expansion.

The group intends to utilise the main brand, Torikizoku, and Dachan’s experience and knowledge in supply chain and restaurant operations to cooperate with each other to promote the brand's development in Taiwan and enhance the corporate value of the Dachan Great Wall Group. The joint venture company will start in July 2024.

Related articles:

Food company Grain ties up with TSLA
SG-based food company Grain ramps up expansion plans after funding
IMDA works with Enterprise SG to digitise food services industry