Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya

What Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya does

Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya is a U.S.-based Japanese ramen restaurant chain founded in 2014 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington. The company operates 19 dine-in locations across five states (Washington, Oregon, California, Indiana, and Texas), with a concentration in Pacific Northwest mall-anchored sites. Its core product is authentic Tokyo-style ramen featuring a proprietary bone-roasting broth technique (patented in Japan) in which bones are roasted before simmering for 6-8 hours, supplemented by refractometer-based quality control, Japanese-standard noodle specifications, and a three-step pork chashu preparation process. The menu spans multiple ramen styles (tonkotsu, shoyu, shio, miso, hakata, yuzu shio, spicy, chicken-rich, veggie, tsukemen) plus izakaya-style add-ons (karaage, gyoza, takoyaki), with ingredients imported from Japan when U.S. equivalents do not meet standards.

The company sells primarily through in-restaurant dining, complemented by online ordering for pickup and delivery via the Incentivio platform and a digital gift card program. Revenue is generated on a per-transaction basis across individual consumer, group, and health-conscious diner segments; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set by individual locations. Distribution is exclusively company-owned physical storefronts — no franchising or wholesale model is referenced. In 2025, Kizuki was acquired by Yoshinoya Holdings, the Japanese restaurant conglomerate and parent of Yoshinoya, to serve as the parent's U.S. ramen platform. Going forward, the company has signaled plans to expand further domestically and into Taiwan and Australia under Yoshinoya's backing.

Name

Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya

Legal name

Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya

Website

https://kizuki.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya is a Japanese ramen restaurant chain founded in 2014, operating 19 dine-in locations across five U.S. states under Yoshinoya Holdings (acquired 2025), serving individual consumers, groups, and food enthusiasts with authentic Tokyo-style ramen and izakaya dishes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Ramen Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Salad & Bowl Concepts (Grain/Protein/Healthy Bowls) (THAFABAF)

Keywords

• Japanese ramen restaurants
• Authentic tokyo ramen
• Izakaya dining
• Bone broth ramen
• Japanese restaurant chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue, Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Revenue from dine-in customers at restaurant locations across multiple states. Customers purchase individual ramen bowls, izakaya small plates, rice dishes, and beverages.
2. Online Ordering: Online ordering through incentivio platform for pickup and delivery, generating transaction revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya operates a multi-state Japanese restaurant chain serving authentic Tokyo-style ramen bowls (Tonkotsu, Shoyu, Shio, Miso, Hakata, Yuzu Shio, Veggie, Chicken Rich, Spicy Gekikara, Tsukemen) alongside izakaya-style side dishes such as Chicken Karaage, Gyoza, and Takoyaki. The chain's signature broth is produced using a proprietary bone-roasting technique (first in the Japanese ramen industry), with Japanese-standard noodles and imported Japanese ingredients. Customers can dine in at 19 locations across Washington, Oregon, California, Indiana, and Texas, or order online for pickup and delivery.

Product overview

Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya is a Japanese ramen restaurant chain offering authentic Tokyo-style ramen with a signature bone-roasting technique inspired by French consommé. The core product is the restaurant dining experience featuring multiple ramen varieties (Tonkotsu, Shoyu, Shio, Miso, Hakata, Veggie, and specialty options like Garlic Tonkotsu and Yuzu Shio), complemented by izakaya-style side dishes (Chicken Karaage, Gyoza, Takoyaki). The company operates locations across Washington, Oregon, Indiana, Texas, and California, supported by an online ordering platform via Incentivio for pickup and delivery, plus a gift card program. The restaurant chain emphasizes slow-crafted broths taking over 10 hours to prepare, Japanese-standard noodles, and imported ingredients when US equivalents are unavailable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya Restaurant Dining Experience
• Garlic Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen
• Yuzu Shio Ramen
• Shoyu Ramen
• Shio Ramen
• Spicy Ramen (Gekikara)
• Hakata Ramen
• Miso Ramen
• Chicken Rich Ramen
• Veggie Ramen
• Tsukemen Dipping Noodles
• Izakaya Side Dishes (Chicken Karaage, Gyoza, Takoyaki)
• Online Ordering for Pickup and Delivery
• Kizuki Gift Card Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Locations maintain 4.4-4.7 star ratings
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Menya Musashi: Japan-based ramen brand with limited but growing U.S. presence, offering traditional ramen styles that overlap directly with Kizuki's menu positioning.

Direct peers

• Ichiran: Iconic Japanese tonkotsu ramen chain selectively expanding into the U.S., competing on the same authenticity axis with a similarly rigorous focus on traditional ramen craft.
• JINYA Ramen Bar: Fast-growing U.S. ramen chain with a broad multi-state footprint, offering tonkotsu and other authentic Japanese ramen styles in a fast-casual format directly comparable to Kizuki.
• Ramen Nagi: Japanese ramen brand with U.S. locations competing for the same authenticity-focused ramen customer, sharing Kizuki's emphasis on imported ingredients and traditional preparation.
• Ippudo: Major Japanese ramen chain with multiple U.S. locations serving tonkotsu and shoyu ramen with an authenticity-led positioning that closely mirrors Kizuki's value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Sweetgreen: Fast-casual bowl-concept chain sharing Kizuki's mall and urban-retail real-estate footprint and comparable unit-economics profile, though focused on salad rather than ramen.
• Marugame Udon: Large Japanese noodle chain operating in the U.S. with a broader Japanese menu; competes for the same Japanese noodle-bowl occasions as Kizuki but with a wider category focus.
• Kura Sushi: U.S.-expanding Japanese restaurant chain with a broader menu and rotating concept; relevant as a Japanese-dining peer for foot-traffic and real-estate strategy benchmarking.
• Wagamama: Pan-Asian fast-casual chain with a broader Japanese-leaning menu including ramen; competes for similar casual-dining occasions while offering a wider category mix.

Others

• Yoshinoya: Parent acquirer of Kizuki and a major Japanese fast-food chain; relevant as the strategic owner and as a Japanese QSR benchmark for unit economics and supply-chain leverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Pinterestpinterest.com/kizukiramen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kizuki-ramen-&-izakaya

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 Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya