WOK

What WOK does

WOK (operated by Lao Kao S.A., NIT 830.047.537-7) is a Colombian restaurant group founded in Bogotá in 1998 that operates an integrated Asian-cuisine hospitality platform under one corporate umbrella. The company serves individual consumers and families in Bogotá and the adjacent municipality of Chía, generating revenue across multiple complementary formats: full-service WOK Restaurantes offering Southeast Asian and Japanese cuisine with table service; WOK Izakaya, a Japanese izakaya concept with three locations serving shareable dishes with sake and beer; Tiendas WOK Para Llevar, four dedicated take-out stores; and WOK Domicilios, an in-house home delivery service operating through a dedicated digital platform.

The business model is transaction-fee based across all formats, with pricing in Colombian Pesos. Ancillary revenue streams include gift cards (Bonos WOK, denominated in COP 30,000–200,000 increments, valid 12 months), the annual Almanaque Lunar y Planetario retail publication (COP 42,000 per copy), Cerveza WOK house beer, and the Cafés WOK specialty coffee program sourcing from 270+ producers in Nariño and Huila. The company maintains direct relationships with local Colombian suppliers and has implemented verifiable responsible fishing traceability since 2008, 100% cage-free eggs since 2012, and recognized sustainability practices (2017 and 2019 awards).

WOK's operational technology is conventional restaurant infrastructure (POS, delivery platform, CRM, proprietary website) with no disclosed proprietary AI or automation systems. The proprietary WOK Sans typeface is a brand identity asset rather than a technology product. Community engagement is maintained through the Charlas WOK educational program (30+ expert sessions since 2016) and the Historias WOK content platform. Geographic operations are entirely concentrated in Bogotá and Chía with no franchise model and no disclosed expansion plans outside that footprint.

Name

WOK

Legal name

Lao Kao S.A.

Website

https://wok.com.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

WOK (Lao Kao S.A.) is a Colombian restaurant group founded in Bogotá in 1998 operating 15+ full-service Asian restaurants, three Izakaya locations, four take-out stores, and home delivery, serving individual consumers and families across Bogotá and Chía.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Asian QSR (Chinese/Thai/Japanese/Korean) (THAFAAAF), Regional/Ethnic Specialty Fast Casual (e.g., Indian, Caribbean, African, Eastern European) (THAFABAM), Multi-Concept / Global QSR Chains (Mixed Menus) (THAFAAAO)

Keywords

• Asian restaurant chain
• Japanese cuisine dining
• Responsible seafood sourcing
• Restaurant take-out service
• Home delivery dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Carrera

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: WOK operates full-service restaurants offering table service with Asian-inspired cuisine including Southeast Asian and Japanese dishes. Revenue generated from customer dine-in experiences at multiple restaurant locations across Bogotá.
2. Take-out (Tiendas WOK Para Llevar): Dedicated take-out stores where customers can order food for pickup. Provides a casual and versatile option for customers to enjoy WOK products off-premises.
3. Home Delivery (Domicilios): Delivery service through dedicated platform at domicilios.wok.com.co, bringing food directly to customers' homes.
4. Gift Cards (Bonos WOK): Sale of gift cards available at all WOK restaurants, WOK Izakaya, and take-out stores. Cards range from $30,000 to $200,000 in multiples of $10,000, valid for up to 12 months from purchase.
5. Merchandise (Almanaque Lunar y Planetario): Sale of the Lunar and Planetary Almanac at $42,000 COP per copy, available at all restaurant locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WOK operates a direct-to-consumer restaurant chain in Colombia serving Asian-inspired cuisine, including Southeast Asian and Japanese dishes, prepared with locally sourced ingredients. The portfolio spans full-service restaurants, dedicated izakaya venues, take-out stores, and a home-delivery service, supported by branded ancillary products (specialty coffee, craft beer, gift cards, and a biodynamic Almanac).

Product overview

WOK is a Colombian restaurant group founded in Bogotá in 1998 that operates multiple dining concepts under one brand. The core offering consists of full-service WOK Restaurantes serving Southeast Asian and Japanese cuisine with locally-sourced Colombian ingredients. The portfolio includes WOK Izakaya (Japanese izakaya concept), Tiendas WOK Para Llevar (take-out stores), and WOK Domicilios (delivery service). Supporting product lines include Cafés WOK specialty coffee, WOK en Casa home products, Cerveza WOK house beer, Bonos WOK gift cards, and the Almanaque Lunar y Planetario. The company operates exclusively in Bogotá and Chía, Colombia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wok Izakaya: Japanese-style restaurant concept inspired by traditional Japanese izakayas where customers enjoy a variety of Japanese dishes with sake or beer in a casual atmosphere.
• Tiendas Wok Para Llevar
• Cafés Wok
• Mundo Wok

Products and services

• WOK Restaurantes Full-service Asian restaurant serving Southeast Asian and Japanese cuisine with table service, with ingredients sourced from local Colombian communities. Available across multiple locations in Bogotá.
• WOK Izakaya Japanese-inspired izakaya concept offering a variety of shareable Japanese dishes with sake or beer, located in dedicated spaces in Bogotá (Zona T, Calle 90, and Atrio).
• Tiendas WOK Para Llevar Take-out and quick-service stores offering WOK products for customers to order and take away, with informal and versatile service format. Four locations: Avenida 19, Calle 69, Cedritos, and Park Way.
• WOK Domicilios Home delivery service allowing customers to order WOK food for delivery to their location via the dedicated domicilios.wok.com.co platform and call center.
• Cafés WOK Specialty coffee program featuring two Colombian coffee varieties sourced from small producer associations in Nariño and Huila regions.
• WOK en Casa Ready-to-take products including gyozas, oils, spices, coffee, and other ingredients sourced from local Colombian producers for home preparation.
• Bonos WOK Gift cards available in all WOK restaurants, Izakaya locations, and take-out stores, in denominations from $30,000 to $200,000 COP and valid for 12 months from purchase date.
• Cerveza WOK House blonde beer brewed with Japanese Sorachi Ace hops, featuring citrus notes of lime, lemon, dill and mint, available in restaurants and take-out stores.
• Almanaque Lunar y Planetario Annual biodynamic lunar and planetary almanac adapted for tropical ecosystems, now in its 19th edition, sold at $42,000 COP per copy at WOK locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,152 fishing hooks replaced through WWF hook exchange campaign
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WWF (World Wildlife Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2015WOK supported WWF's hook exchange campaign (intercambio de anzuelos), helping replace 9,152 fishing hooks with dolphin-safe alternatives. The hooks are used by fishermen in Chocó and Nariño, supporting marine conservation and improving livelihoods for artisanal fishing communities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Panda Express: Largest Asian QSR chain in the US. Comparable to WOK's Tiendas WOK Para Llevar take-out format and Asian cuisine positioning, illustrating the scale potential of take-out / fast-format Asian concepts.
• Benihana: International Japanese teppanyaki-style restaurant chain. Conceptually adjacent to WOK Izakaya in offering Japanese experiential dining with beverages; useful as a global benchmark for the Japanese-themed dining experience.
• Wagamama: Global Asian noodle restaurant chain. Comparable to WOK in Asian full-service format and multi-geography footprint blueprint, providing a global benchmark for the category WOK dominates locally.
• P.F. Chang's: Large international Asian casual dining chain. Comparable to WOK in cuisine category (Asian-inspired full-service) and brand-led positioning, though at materially larger scale and with global operating muscle.

Regional players

• Giraffas: Large Brazilian multi-format restaurant chain with a broad menu (burgers, Brazilian classics, healthy options). Comparable to WOK in operating a multi-format, multi-brand restaurant platform in a single Latin American country.

Direct peers

• Osaka: Latin American Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) restaurant chain with locations in Colombia and other LatAm markets. The most direct competitor to WOK's Izakaya and Asian full-service offerings, with comparable full-service format and premium positioning.
• Teriyaki: Colombian Japanese/Asian restaurant chain offering sushi, ramen, and Asian dishes in a casual setting. Competes directly with WOK in the Colombian Asian segment across dine-in and delivery, though typically more limited-service.
• Andrés Carne de Res: Legendary Colombian restaurant/entertainment venue with multiple locations in Bogotá and expansion across Colombia. Shares multi-format, multi-location, premium positioning and brand-led storytelling with WOK, though in a different cuisine category.
• Crepes & Waffles: Iconic Colombian full-service restaurant chain with comparable multi-format footprint across Bogotá and other Colombian cities. Both are domestically originated, long-operating restaurant groups focused on the premium-casual dining segment, with strong sustainability and supply-chain storytelling.

Emerging players

• Sushi Zen: Colombian Japanese restaurant brand operating in Bogotá. Competes head-to-head with WOK Izakaya and WOK Restaurantes for Japanese cuisine occasions in the same city, though typically at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/restaurantewok
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/restaurante-wok

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WOK