What Colowide does

Colowide Co., Ltd. (TYO:7616) is a publicly traded Japanese food service conglomerate founded in 1963 and headquartered in Yokohama. The group operates over 20 restaurant brands across multiple formats through 1,891 directly managed stores and 1,307 franchise stores in Japan as of March 2026 (approximately 3,763 stores including C-United's 565 cafés added April 2026), supplemented by operations in 16 countries/regions. Core brands include Gyu-Kaku (焼肉/Yakiniku BBQ), Kappa Sushi (かっぱ寿司/conveyor-belt sushi), Shabu-Shabu On-Yasai (しゃぶしゃぶ温野菜), Ootoya (大戸屋/teishoku set meals), Steak Miya (ステーキ宮), Freshness Burger, and the Cheese Garden dessert portfolio. Beyond consumer-facing restaurants, Colowide operates an institutional catering business (509 contract sites across hospitals, nursing homes, offices, and schools as of March 2026) acquired through Nifs and Socio Food Service.

The company's operational backbone is COLOWIDE MD Co., Ltd., which centralizes product R&D, raw material procurement, manufacturing, and logistics across 15 factories (including 2 dedicated central kitchens). This merchandising platform enables brand-level menu differentiation while capturing group-wide purchasing synergies. Revenue is generated through (1) direct restaurant operations, (2) franchise royalties and fees (master franchiser and direct FC models domestically and internationally), (3) food manufacturing and merchandising sales through COLOWIDE MD and its subsidiaries, and (4) managed catering services. FY2026 consolidated sales revenue reached a record ¥300.1 billion (+11.5% YoY) with record-high operating profit of ¥12.5 billion (+34.6% YoY), reflecting margin expansion alongside topline growth.

Colowide pursues a multi-channel go-to-market strategy combining owned retail/restaurant operations, franchise partnerships, delivery/takeout (including Uber Eats and Too Good To Go for food-waste reduction), e-commerce (Colowide Online Shop), and institutional catering contracts. The company has a continuous M&A-driven expansion track record with key transactions including ATOM Corporation (2005), REINS International (2012), Kappa-Create (2014), OOTOYA Holdings (2020), Nifs/Socio Food Service (2024), Seagrass Holdco (2025), and C-United (2026). The medium-term plan targets ¥500 billion in annual sales by FY2030.

Name

Colowide

Legal name

COLOWIDE CO., LTD.

Website

https://colowide.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Colowide is a Japanese food service conglomerate operating over 20 restaurant brands across 3,198 stores domestically plus 16 countries internationally, including Gyu-Kaku, Kappa Sushi, Shabu-Shabu On-Yasai, and Ootoya, supplemented by institutional catering and a centralized merchandising platform through COLOWIDE MD.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama-shi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Operations (直営飲食店の経営): Revenue from directly operated restaurant chains across multiple formats including BBQ (牛角), shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ温野菜), conveyor belt sushi (かっぱ寿司), teishoku set meals (大戸屋), Japanese pubs (居酒屋), steak houses (ステーキ宮), and cafe chains (珈琲館, カフェ・ベローチェ). Direct store count: 1,501 as of March 2026. Total restaurants (including FC): 3,198 as of March 2026.
2. Franchise Operations (FC): Revenue from franchise business through REINS International and other operating subsidiaries. Franchised chains include 牛角, しゃぶしゃぶ温野菜, 土間土間, かまどか, フレッシュネスバーガー, and others. FC store count: 1,132 as of March 2026. Master franchiser model used for international expansion.
3. Merchandising / Food Processing Sales (各種食料品の仕入販売及び加工販売): Revenue from manufacturing, processing, and sales of food products through COLOWIDE MD and its subsidiaries (M.Y. Foods, Bannou Suisan). Includes condiments, sauces, processed foods, and private-label products distributed through group stores.
4. Catering Services (給食事業): Revenue from food service management contracts for healthcare facilities (hospitals, nursing homes) and institutional clients (offices, schools). Contract locations: 509 facilities as of March 2026. Operated by subsidiaries ニフス, ソシオフードサービス, ハートフルダイニング, and クックサービス.
5. Dessert & Confectionery Products (チーズガーデン, クリオロ, シルスマリア): Revenue from specialty dessert brands producing and selling premium cheese cakes, confections, and chocolates through standalone stores and as add-on offerings across group restaurants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Colowide Group operates a diversified multi-brand restaurant and food service portfolio across Japan and 16 overseas markets, spanning 3,198 restaurants (direct and franchise). The group operates BBQ (Gyu-Kaku), conveyor belt sushi (Kappa Sushi), shabu-shabu (On-Yasai), Japanese set meals (Ootoya), izakaya pubs, steakhouses, hamburger chains, café chains, and dessert brands, supported by COLOWIDE MD which handles group-wide R&D, raw material procurement, manufacturing across 15 factories, and logistics. The group also runs a 509-facility institutional catering business serving hospitals, nursing homes, offices, and schools.

Product overview

Colowide is a comprehensive food service company operating a diversified multi-brand, multi-format restaurant portfolio. The group operates through several layers: (1) COLOWIDE MD Co., Ltd. as the group's merchandising backbone managing procurement, manufacturing, and logistics across 15 factories and 2 central kitchens; (2) operating subsidiaries including REINS International Inc. (franchise/直営 management of Gyu-Kaku, Shabu-Shabu On-Yasai, Doma-Doma, Freshness Burger, and related formats), ATOM Corporation (steak, sushi, yakiniku, tonkatsu chains), Kappa-Create Co., Ltd. (Kappa Sushi conveyor-belt sushi and Bannou Suisan seafood), Ootoya Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japanese set-meal restaurants), C-United Co., Ltd. (café chains), Seagrass Holdco Pty Ltd. (premium steakhouse chains in Oceania), and Colowide Dining Co., Ltd. (izakaya chains and casual dining); (3) N Baton Company and subsidiaries (dessert brands including Cheese Garden, Criollo, Grindelberg, NCACAO, pure coco TOKYO, and Sils Maria); and (4) the catering service business (managed by Nifs, Heartful Dining, and Cook Service across 509 contract sites). The group's over 20 brands span Japanese BBQ (Gyu-Kaku and derivatives), conveyor-belt sushi (Kappa Sushi, Nigirino Tokubei), hot pot (Shabu-Shabu On-Yasai), Japanese set meals (Ootoya), izakaya (Amataro, Hokkaido, 365 Sakaba, Yakitori Center, Iroha Nihoheto), tonkatsu (Tonkatsu Sakura), steaks (Steak Miya, Seagrass brands), cafés (Kohikan, Cafe Veloce, Cafe de CRIE, small forest Coffee, Cheese Garden), desserts (Cheese Garden, Criollo, Sils Maria), and Chinese/Japanese casual dining (Amataro Shokudo, Yaro Ramen). The group targets different price points and dining occasions across dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gyu-Kaku焼肉食堂: Yakiniku restaurant chain focusing on grilled meat in food court settings
• とんかつ神楽坂さくら
• 6HEAD
• The Meat & Wine Co
• Hunter & Barrel

Products and services

• Gyu-Kaku (牛角) Yakiniku Restaurant Chain

Quantifiable outcome

• Record-high consolidated sales revenue of ¥300.1 billion in FY2026, up 11.5% YoY
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• C-United Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Colowide MD acquired C-United Co., Ltd. as a consolidated subsidiary in April 2026, adding 565 stores across cafe chains (珈琲館, カフェ・ベローチェ, カフェ・ド・クリэ). The acquisition aims to leverage group synergies including expanded sales of dessert brand products, strengthened site development and franchise expansion capabilities, and reduced procurement and logistics costs.
• Seagrass Holdco Pty Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Colowide MD acquired Seagrass Holdco Pty Ltd. as a consolidated subsidiary in June 2025. As the No.1 steak restaurant chain in Oceania, it operates 6HEAD, The Meat & Wine Co, and Hunter & Barrel. The partnership aims to leverage group know-how for new store openings in Asia and Middle East while building an Australian beef supply chain for distribution revenue.
• Heartful Dining Co., Ltd. (Joint Venture with Nippon General Food Co., Ltd.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Joint venture company established in April 2024 with Nippon General Food (日本ゼネラルフード). Heartful Dining operates office and school catering services, combining Colowide's food service expertise with Nippon General Food's existing institutional client base.
• Too Good To GominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Kappa Sushi partnered with Too Good To Go, the world's No.1 food waste reduction app originating from Scandinavia, to reduce food waste. The partnership launched in March 2023 and was expanded to 62 stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area, allowing customers to purchase surplus food at reduced prices through the app.
• Nishimatsuya Chain (西東京瓦斯 / にしたんART Clinic)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Colowide partnered with Nishimatsuya Chain (にしたんART Clinic) in November 2024 to introduce health support services for all employees across the group, demonstrating commitment to employee wellbeing and aligning with diversity and human resources materialities.
• Vegiful Farm Co., Ltd. (ベジフルファーム)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Colowide MD signed a share subscription agreement in May 2023 to partially subscribe for shares in the agricultural corporation Vegiful Farm (農業生産法人ベジフルファーム), strengthening collaboration on functional vegetable procurement for group restaurants and supporting the sustainable food procurement strategy.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Supply Chain PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Colowide signed a basic agreement regarding the supply and utilization of waste cooking oil for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) manufacturing in May 2023, supporting environmental sustainability initiatives and circular economy in the food service sector.
• Yamato Transport (ヤマト運輸)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Colowide MD and Yamato Transport signed a lead logistics partner agreement in March 2023 aimed at optimizing the entire supply chain, improving delivery efficiency and reducing logistics costs across the group's central kitchen and distribution network.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Watami: Japanese izakaya and casual dining chain operator with both direct and franchise stores. Direct competitor in the izakaya/BBQ segment that overlaps with Colowide's Doma-Doma, 365 Sakaba and Gyu-Kaku brands.
• Zensho Holdings: Operates Sukiya (gyudon), Coco's, Big Boy and other restaurant chains domestically and internationally. Comparable in being a publicly traded, M&A-driven multi-brand restaurant conglomerate competing for similar Japanese diners.
• Skylark Holdings: One of Japan's largest multi-brand casual dining operators (Gust, Jonathan's, Bamiyan, Yumean etc.) with comparable store counts and a similarly broad restaurant portfolio. Most direct comparable in scale and multi-format strategy to Colowide.
• Monogatari Corporation: Operates Yume Ichijoya and other mid-tier Japanese restaurant chains, primarily in Western Japan. Comparable mid-cap multi-format restaurant operator competing in similar casual dining categories.
• Hotland: Operates Gyoza no Ohsho, a major Japanese dumpling/QSR chain. Comparable publicly traded Japanese restaurant operator with both direct and franchise stores.
• Saizeriya: Italian family-restaurant chain with low-price positioning and ~1,500 stores domestically and across Asia. Comparable publicly traded multi-format casual dining operator competing for value-conscious Japanese diners.
• Toridoll Holdings: Operates Marugame Seimen udon chain and a global portfolio including Bonjour Total Logistics and overseas restaurant concepts. Closely comparable M&A-driven Japanese restaurant roll-up with international ambitions similar to Colowide.
• Food & Life Companies: Operates conveyor-belt sushi chain Sushiro and other restaurant brands. Closest direct competitor to Colowide's Kappa Sushi and Nigirino Tokubei sushi brands.
• Ichibanya: Operates CoCo Ichibanya, Japan's largest curry restaurant chain with extensive international footprint. Comparable publicly traded restaurant operator with global franchise expansion similar to Colowide.

Broad incumbents

• McDonald's Holdings Japan: Master franchisee of McDonald's in Japan, a much larger QSR incumbent. Overlaps with Colowide's Freshness Burger and broader casual/QSR categories but operates at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@COLOWIDE-channel/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/cwhdth

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries10 records

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 Colowide