Japanese ramen brand Machida Shoten unveils first store in HK

Japanese ramen brand “Machida Shoten” has expanded its Asia footprint with its first store in Hong Kong, bringing authentic Yokohama style ramen to the city.

This comes after the company joined the food and beverage mission co-​organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo ETO) and InvestHK last April.

The Hong Kong store is located at Airside, Kai Tak, Kowloon, according to Tatsuya Sasajima, executive vice president of Machida Shoten's parent company Gift Holdings.

It will use some of the food ingredients delivered from Japan directly and follow the Japanese store's operational know-how under our business concept of 'To make Ramen as a gift to the world'. With a little twist on the interior design and the menu, offering the Hong Kong store a unique style atmosphere and better cater to local customers, Sasajimi said.

"Our goal is to become the best ramen company in Japan and the world. We have been actively looking for opportunities to expand overseas since 2023. After visiting Hong Kong, we met our Hong Kong partner and decided to expand our business in the city," he added.

He said the company's first priority is to offer Hong Kong customers its signature Yokohama style ramen, which is made of rich pork bone soup, unique soy sauce, and our home-made thick noodles. "We believe that we can promote the Yokohama style ramen culture to the world, especially in East Asia, via the Hong Kong store," he added.

Jimmy Chiang, associate director-general of investment promotion, InvestHK, said, "I am happy to see the Tokyo ETO and InvestHK's joint initiative of bringing Japanese companies in the delegation last April paid off, as the companies came and saw for themselves the actual opportunities Hong Kong has to offer. I wish 'Machida Shoten' every success in Hong Kong and beyond."

Founded in 2008, the Gift Holdings is the second-largest ramen chain in Japan. It is dedicated to merging traditional food with a modern lifestyle. The company has been committed not only to making delicious ramen, but also to creating a memorable experience for consumers.

Currently, it has rapidly expanded its business to more than 800 restaurants worldwide.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to InvestHK for more information.

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