Yoshinoya parent acquires Seattle-based Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya

The parent company of Yoshinoya has added a ramen concept to its portfolio in the U.S.

Yoshinoya Holdings Co. Ltd., the 125-year-old parent company of the quick-service Yoshinoya brand, has acquired the Seattle-based Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya chain, the companies announced this week.

Kizuki was founded in Seattle in 2012 by Taiwanese-American restaurateur Yi-Chen (Brandon) Ting, who also founded the Supreme Dumplings chain. The acquisition, however, is specifically Kizuki, which has 17 units, primarily on the West Coast (Washington, Oregon, and California) with some locations in Indiana and Texas.

Ting will stay on as CEO, working with Yoshinoya to grow the ramen concept.

Known for its build-your-own-teriyaki bowl format, Yoshinoya operates about 100 units across the U.S. The company, however, is believed to be one of the oldest restaurant chains in the world, with roughly 2,000 units across mostly Asia. Overseas, Yoshinoya already operates a number of ramen and noodle concepts, and the company owned a ramen manufacturing company that supplies both noodles and soup in Japan and internationally.

Tetsuya Naruse, president and CEO of Yoshinoya Holdings, said in a statement that the acquisition of Kizuki would open a strategically vital market for the company.

“By combining our resources with the customer-centric brand power and production base they have cultivated locally, we are confident that we can drive growth at an unprecedented pace,” Naruse said. “By fusing the strengths of both companies, we will create new value for the global market.”

Ting, in a statement, said the two companies share a common goal: bringing more ramen to communities across America.

“When we opened our first restaurant in Seattle, we simply wanted to serve authentic Japanese ramen the right way and create moments of joy for every guest who walked through out doors,” said Ting. “To earn the trust of one of Japan’s most iconic restaurant companies is an incredible honor.”