What KYURA MEN does

KYURA MEN is a privately held Japanese ramen quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain operating 126+ locations across the United States, with footprint spanning the Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, and West Coast regions. Founded by Gary Lin, the company opened its first store in 2014 and formally launched its brand identity in 2019, anchoring its positioning around "Everyday is Ramen Day" — making Japanese ramen accessible as an affordable daily cuisine for working-class consumers and students. The core product is a ramen menu built around Japan's three major regional styles (Kyushu Shio/tonkotsu, Tokyo Shoyu, and Hokkaido Miso), supplemented by rice bowls, rice burgers, appetizers, desserts, and beverages, with a proprietary chashu pork preparation process (multi-step deboning, rolling, halogenation, and thermal contraction chilling) cited as a point of differentiation.

The company monetizes primarily through dine-in restaurant sales, with auxiliary revenue from gift cards (digital and physical), in-app ordering, and a tiered cashback loyalty program (Silver 5%, Gold 8%, Diamond 10%) executed through its proprietary KYURAMEN mobile app, which also supports QR-code payments, pickup, dine-in checkout, and select delivery. Distribution is a hybrid of company-owned and franchised storefronts, with a publicly advertised franchise inquiry process signaling continued unit growth toward a stated target of 200+ U.S. locations. Supporting technology is a restaurant POS integrated with the mobile app; the company has no public API, SDK, or disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and there is no evidence of institutional venture capital, private equity, or public listing in the source material.

Recent strategic activity includes a May 2026 acquisition of Aokō Matcha (vertical extension into matcha beverages/desserts), an Ultraman franchise collaboration in November 2025 across 20 locations, expansion into Naperville, Illinois in December 2025, and recurring promotional campaigns (Kyuramen Day, FIFA World Cup Pick'em, Endless Ramen holiday deal) used as customer-acquisition and engagement levers.

Name

KYURA MEN

Legal name

KYURA MEN

Website

https://kyuramen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KYURA MEN operates a 126+ location U.S. Japanese ramen QSR chain, serving ramen bowls, rice bowls, and sides to working-class and student consumers via company-owned and franchised restaurants with an integrated mobile app and loyalty program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

akta.pro primary industry

Asian Fast Casual (Pan-Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean) (THAFABAE)

Keywords

• Japanese ramen restaurant
• Casual dining chain
• Quick service restaurant
• Asian cuisine dining
• Franchised restaurant chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Flushing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue generated from customers dining at Kyuramen restaurant locations, purchasing ramen bowls, combo meals, appetizers, and beverages. Primary revenue stream from physical restaurant operations.
2. Mobile App Ordering: Revenue from app-based ordering for pickup and delivery at select locations. App facilitates transactions and captures customer data for loyalty programs.
3. Gift Cards: E-gift cards and physical gift cards sold through the app and in-restaurant, generating float revenue and encouraging repeat visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KYURA MEN is a U.S. Japanese ramen restaurant chain operating 126+ company-owned and franchised locations. It serves ramen in three major Japanese styles (Kyushu Shio, Tokyo Shoyu, Hokkaido Miso) along with rice bowls, appetizers, desserts, beverages, and combo meals. The business is supported by a proprietary mobile app for ordering, payment, and a tiered loyalty rewards program.

Product overview

KYURA MEN is a Japanese ramen restaurant chain operating as a unified quick-service dining concept with over 126 U.S. locations. The core product is a carefully crafted ramen menu featuring three major Japanese ramen styles (Kyushu tonkotsu, Tokyo shoyu, and Hokkaido miso), complemented by rice bowls, rice burgers, appetizers, desserts, and beverages. Supporting the restaurant operations is a proprietary mobile app enabling ordering, payment via QR codes, and a tiered rewards program (Silver/Gold/Diamond levels with 5-10% cashback). The company also offers gift cards and franchise opportunities, with special limited-time collaborations and event promotions driving customer engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KYURAMEN Ramen Menu Core menu offering featuring Japanese ramen in three major styles: Kyushu Shio (tonkotsu), Tokyo Shouyu, and Hokkaido Miso. Includes signature items such as Tokyo Tonkotsu Shoyu, Sapporo Miso Ramen, Yinyang Bowl, and specialty varieties including seafood, chicken, vegetable, curry, and kimchi ramen. Targeted at consumers seeking authentic Japanese ramen.
• Rice Bowls and Rice Burgers Alternative protein and grain offerings including rice bowls (Gyudon, Unagidon, Kamameshi), rice burgers with sesame rice patties, omurice dishes, udon, yakisoba, and curry rice options.
• Appetizers and Small Plates Japanese-style appetizers including dumplings (pan-fried and deep-fried gyoza), takoyaki, shrimp tempura, yakitori skewers, agedashi tofu, and various fried items.
• Japanese Desserts Japanese-inspired desserts featuring matcha items (tiramisu, pudding, mille crepe cake), mango mille crepe cake, purple sweet potato crepe cake, Japanese cherry blossom jelly, and baked sweet potato with ice cream.
• Drinks and Beverages Beverage offerings including Japanese Ramune soda (strawberry and lychee flavors), Moshi Yuzu sparkling drinks, Thai iced tea, Brooklyn crafted ginger ale, S. Pellegrino sparkling water, hot tea, and standard sodas.
• Combo Meals Pre-selected meal combinations including Classic Combo (ramen with steamed pork bao bun and matcha pudding), Duo Combo (two ramen with popcorn chicken and desserts), and Chicken Combo (ramen with gyoza and jelly).
• KYURAMEN Mobile App Mobile application for in-store ordering, dine-in checkout, pickup orders, and delivery at selected locations. Supports QR code payments via KYURAMEN Cards, cashback redemption, and gift card management.
• KYURAMEN Rewards Program Tiered loyalty program with 4 points per $1 spent. Silver level (0-10K points) offers 5% cashback, Gold level (10K-15K points) offers 8% cashback, and Diamond level (15K+ points) offers 10% cashback. Cashback expires after 2 weeks.
• KYURAMEN Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase via the app. E-gift cards can be sent via email with personalized messages for various occasions and holidays.
• Franchise Program Franchise opportunities available for opening KYURAMEN restaurant locations. The company has expanded to over 126 locations across the US since first store opened in 2014, with expansion plans toward over 200 locations.
• Corporate Events and Group Catering In-store dining experience suitable for group events and celebrations, with dedicated event promotions such as Kyuramen Day and World Cup Pick'Em Challenge.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 fans participated in Kyuramen's online giveaways in 2022

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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.

• Tsuburaya Fields Media & Entertainment (Ultraman Franchise)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025Limited-time collaboration from November 1-30, 2025 celebrating Ultraman's 60th anniversary. Featured Ultraman-themed menu items including Ultra Energy Combo ($19.99) and exclusive merchandise (stickers, magnets, posters, tote bags, folders) at 20 participating locations across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The partnership is described as a cultural initiative to inspire a new generation of fans in North America.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Teriyaki Madness: Asian fast-casual franchise with strong U.S. franchise growth; comparable on franchise-led multi-region expansion, Asian bowl menu, value-tier pricing, and customer base of working professionals and students.
• Marugame Udon: Japanese noodle fast-casual chain operating across the U.S.; directly comparable on Japanese-noodle heritage, counter-service casual dining, value-priced bowls, and franchise-driven multi-region expansion.
• Ichiran: Iconic Japanese tonkotsu ramen chain with U.S. outposts; competes in the same ramen category with similar authenticity cues and bowl-focused menu, though differentiated by solo-booth dining format.
• JINYA Ramen Bar: U.S.-based Japanese ramen fast-casual chain with multiple regional locations and a full bar program; competes head-to-head with Kyuramen on tonkotsu/shoyu/miso bowls, combo meals, and casual-dining positioning in the affordable-ramen segment.
• Wagamama: Pan-Asian noodle and rice-bowl casual-dining chain; directly comparable on Asian noodle bowls (ramen/udon), combo-meal structure, and broad-appeal positioning in shopping-center and urban real estate.
• Ippudo: Globally recognized Japanese ramen chain with U.S. locations; comparable on signature tonkotsu and shoyu bowls, dine-in focus, and authentic-Japanese positioning, though typically priced at a premium to Kyuramen's everyday-value tiers.
• Menya Musashi: Japanese ramen chain with U.S. locations; comparable on authentic-Japanese positioning, tonkotsu-style signature bowls, and casual-dining experience targeting ramen enthusiasts.

Broad incumbents

• QDOBA Mexican Eats: U.S. fast-casual franchise chain with hundreds of locations; comparable on franchise-led multi-region footprint, mobile-app ordering and rewards program, value-tier combo meals, and lunch/quick-dinner daypart targeting.
• Haidilao: Large Chinese hot-pot chain with U.S. locations; adjacent comparable as a well-capitalized Asian casual-dining incumbent competing for similar Asian-cuisine dining occasions and real estate.
• Yoshinoya: Established Japanese fast-food chain with U.S. presence; comparable on affordable Japanese rice bowls, beef-based proteins, counter-service model, and mass-market positioning, though broader than ramen.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kyuramen.official
• Instagraminstagram.com/kyuramen.official
• TikToktiktok.com/@kyuramen.official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about KYURA MEN