（株）麺食

What （株）麺食 does

Mensyoku Co., Ltd. (株式会社麺食) is a Japan-based restaurant operator founded in May 1988, headquartered in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. The company operates a multi-brand ramen restaurant portfolio anchored by its flagship Kitakata Ramen Banai (喜多方ラーメン坂内) brand, established in Fukushima, with additional concepts including Vietnam Alice, 88 Asia, Bar de Ollalia, Restaurant Iroha, and Tokyo Katsu Curry. Its core product is high-moisture (40%+), flat-pressed, aged Kitakata-style noodles developed and produced in-house.

The business operates through a franchise-led model totaling 90 stores (79 domestic, 11 overseas) as of June 2026, with direct operations in Japan, the United States (via Mensyoku U.S.A. Inc., established 2013), and Europe (Frankfurt entry 2025). The company employs approximately 450 staff including part-time and gig workers as of April 2024. Revenue mechanics span in-store dining, franchise/royalty fees, wholesale meat supply, and packaged retail products distributed through Costco (37 stores) and FamilyMart. A separately operated foreign talent HR business supports labor sourcing, providing a vertical-integration lever for its cost structure.

The capital structure is private, with leadership under President Makoto Nakahara since 2012. The company has built a direct customer engagement layer through a proprietary mobile app with 260,000+ members and is positioned as a top-three Japanese ramen brand by recognition. No public financial disclosures are available.

Name

（株）麺食

Legal name

株式会社麺食

Website

https://mensyoku.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mensyoku Co., Ltd. is a Japan-based multi-brand ramen restaurant operator founded in 1988, running 90 stores globally (79 domestic, 11 overseas) anchored by flagship Kitakata Ramen Banai, with additional franchise, wholesale, and retail packaged goods revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ramen Restaurant Chain

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Special Food Services (7223), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Noodle Manufacturing (instant, ramen, rice noodles) (AFAKABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meal kits & subscription meal components manufacturing (AFAKAHAD), Starches, Flours & Milling Products Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAH)

Keywords

• Ramen restaurant chain
• Restaurant franchise operations
• Multi-brand restaurant group
• Wholesale food ingredients
• Foreign talent recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo (Shinagawa-ku, HigashiOi)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant operations (direct-owned stores): Direct operation of restaurant chains generating same-store sales across multiple brands and geographies. Stores include Ramen Banai, 88 Asia, Vietnam Alice, Spanish Bal, and Japanese cuisine outlets in Japan, the US, and Germany.
2. Franchise royalties and fees: Kitakata Ramen Banai franchise model. Franchisees pay an upfront franchise fee (250万 yen), fixed monthly royalty (12万円), fixed system usage fee (4万円), and store design/construction costs. 65%+ of franchise stores operate for over 20 years.
3. Wholesale meat and food ingredients: Wholesale distribution of premium pork (including Berkshire), wheat flour, menma, char siu, ramen soup, fresh and frozen noodles, and other PB food products. Directly sourced from farms in Spain, Finland, Netherlands, and Chile.
4. Retail packaged food products: Retail products including chashu pork sold at Costco warehouses (37 locations nationwide), microwaveable ramen kits at FamilyMart, and original gyoza sold through Rakuten. Generates licensing/supervision revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mensyoku Co., Ltd. (株式会社麺食) operates a multi-brand restaurant group anchored by its flagship Kitakata Ramen Banai ramen chain (approximately 90 stores across Japan, the United States, and Germany), complemented by Vietnamese (Vietnam Alice), pan-Asian (88 Asia), Spanish (Bar de Ollalia), and traditional Japanese (Restaurant Iroha) dining concepts. Beyond direct and franchised restaurant operations, the company runs a wholesale ingredient distribution business (premium pork and ramen ingredients sourced from Europe and South America), supplies retail packaged food products through Costco and FamilyMart, and offers a registered foreign-talent recruitment service for the food-service industry.

Product overview

株式会社麺食 is a diversified restaurant and food service company operating primarily around its flagship ramen chain '喜多方ラーメン坂内' with 90 locations. The portfolio includes multiple restaurant brands spanning Vietnamese cuisine (ヴェトナム・アリス), Asian cuisine (８８亞細亞 with Michelin chef collaboration), Spanish dining (バー・デ・オジャリア), and Japanese cuisine in Europe (Restaurant Iroha). Beyond dining, the company offers consumer food products including char siu pork sold at Costco and cup noodles at FamilyMart, a mobile loyalty app with 260,000+ members, global talent recruitment services for the food industry, and B2B wholesale of premium pork and ramen ingredients. The company operates across Japan, the US (10 locations), and Europe (Germany), with a philosophy of delivering 'warmth through food' globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 喜多方ラーメン坂内: Japanese regional ramen chain originating from Kitakata, Fukushima. Flagship brand of the company featuring traditional handmade noodles, soup, and roasted pork.
• KITAKATA RAMEN BAN NAI (USA/EU)
• ヴェトナム・アリス
• ８８亞細亞
• バル・デ・オジャリア (Bar de Ollalia)
• Restaurant Iroha
• Tokyo Katsu Curry

Products and services

• 喜多方ラーメン坂内 (Kitakata Ramen Banai) — Domestic Flagship Japanese regional ramen chain serving handmade flat-pressed aged noodles with clear pork-broth soy sauce and roasted char siu pork. Targets individual diners and families across Japan with daily-edible ramen in the ~800-1,000+ yen range.
• KITAKATA RAMEN BAN NAI — US Operations International ramen restaurant operations in the United States maintaining the same Japanese quality, traditional noodle preparation, and menu format as the domestic chain. Ramen priced at approximately $13.95 at US locations.
• KITAKATA RAMEN BAN NAI [EU] — European Operations European operations of the Kitakata Ramen Banai brand, opening the German market with the same handmade noodles, char siu, and clear pork-broth soup as Japan and the US.
• ヴェトナム・アリス (Vietnam Alice) Authentic Vietnamese restaurant operated by Vietnamese staff offering traditional Vietnamese cuisine with Japanese-friendly adaptations. Serves individual diners seeking Vietnamese food in central Tokyo.
• 88亞細亞 (88 Asia) Pan-Asian neighborhood restaurant concept created in collaboration with Michelin-awarded chef Toba Shusaku (鳥羽周作). Offers pho, Thai green curry, coconut garlic pao, Asian toba rice, tom yum pho, Taiwan mazemen, and other Asian specialties. Operates 2 stores in Japan including a location at Isetan Yokohama.
• Restaurant Iroha (いろは) Traditional Japanese restaurant located in Frankfurt, Germany, offering authentic Japanese cuisine prepared by experienced chefs for European diners and Japanese expatriates.
• Bar de Ollalia (バル・デ・オジャリア) Spanish bar and restaurant concept featuring 'Oja' (Japanese porridge-like dish), tapas, and Spanish wines including sherry. Targets diners seeking Spanish dining in the Japanese market.
• Tokyo Katsu Curry (東京カツカレー) Japanese curry restaurant brand operated in the United States under the company's overseas operations.
• 喜多方ラーメン坂内 監修 焼豚 (Bannai-Approved Char Siu Pork) Retail packaged char siu pork product authorized by Kitakata Ramen Banai and sold through Costco Japan's nationwide warehouse network for at-home consumption.
• 明星 喜多方ラーメン坂内 コク醤油 (Myojo Kitakata Ramen Banai Koku Shoyu Cup Noodles) Retail instant cup noodle licensed under the Kitakata Ramen Banai brand and produced in collaboration with Myojo. Distributed through FamilyMart convenience stores nationwide.
• 卸売事業 (Wholesale Ingredient Distribution) B2B wholesale business supplying premium Berkshire pork (pork belly, shoulder loin, tongue, harami, offal, arm meat), wheat flour, menma, char siu, ramen soup, and fresh and frozen noodles directly to restaurant operators. Sourcing is direct from farms in Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, and Chile.
• グローバル人財ビジネス (Global Talent Business) B2B foreign-talent recruitment and HR support service specialized for the food-service industry. Operates as a registered support organization for Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) visas. Provides multilingual recruitment support in Vietnamese, Nepali, Indonesian, and Burmese, with monthly interview events and ongoing employment assistance. The company has been employing foreign workers for 19+ years and operates a team of 50+ foreign employees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65%+ of franchise stores operate for over 20 years (vs. industry average 3-year survival)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Costco Wholesale Japan (コストコホールセールジャパン)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 April 2026Costco Japan distributes Kitakata Ramen Banai supervised chashu pork (400g pack, 1,178 yen) at all 37 Costco warehouse stores nationwide starting April 13, 2026. The product is pre-cooked and can be reheated in hot water or served as-is.
• 認定NPO 法人グッドネーバーズ・ザパン (Good Neighbors Japan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in the 'Good Food' program addressing child poverty in Japan. Monthly provision of homemade ramen kits to single-parent households. Addresses the 14% child poverty rate and 48.3% rate among single-parent households in Japan.
• Mid Valley International College (ミッドバレー・インターナショナルカレッジ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Nepali hospitality management college in Kathmandu for training students who subsequently join Mensyoku as employees. Linked to the Nepal-Japan Friendship Summit organized by Force Valley Concierge Co., Ltd.
• Force Valley Concierge Co., Ltd. (フォースバレー・コンシェルジュ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of the Nepal-Japan Friendship Summit. Partnership facilitator for Nepali talent pipeline and international HR exchange. Co-presented at HCJ2025 seminar on foreign talent recruitment strategies.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves19 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Yoshinoya Holdings: Major Japanese QSR holding company (Yoshinoya gyudon plus international brands). Comparable as a multi-brand Japanese restaurant operator that combines direct stores, franchise-like growth, and overseas expansion (US, China, SEA).
• Zensho Holdings: Japan's largest F&B holding company, operating Sukiya, Nakau, and multiple ramen and QSR brands. Comparable as a multi-brand F&B operator with both direct and franchise restaurant formats and large-scale wholesale/sourcing infrastructure.
• Saizeriya: Italian family restaurant chain operating 1,000+ stores in Japan and Asia. Comparable as a Japan-domiciled restaurant operator with franchise-style expansion, vertically integrated supply, and a long operational track record.
• Kura Sushi: Major revolving sushi chain with both domestic and US operations. Comparable as a Japan-based restaurant operator that has scaled internationally and built retail-adjacent consumer food product lines alongside its restaurant business.
• Skylark Holdings: Multi-brand family restaurant operator in Japan (Skylark, Gusto, Bamiyan, etc.). Comparable as a multi-brand domestic restaurant group with franchise and directly-operated formats, and a long track record of category expansion through brand rollouts.
• Colowide: Multi-brand F&B operator in Japan with restaurant and retail food businesses. Comparable as a portfolio operator running multiple restaurant concepts alongside wholesale and consumer food products.
• Food & Life Companies: Operates Isomaru Suisan and Sushi-Ro sushi restaurant chains with international presence. Comparable as a Japan-headquartered multi-brand restaurant group with both domestic scale and overseas franchise/company operations.

Direct peers

• Toridoll Holdings: Multi-brand F&B holding company that operates Marugen, one of the largest Kitakata-style ramen chains in Japan. Most directly comparable peer given the same ramen sub-category, multi-brand portfolio structure, and franchise-led domestic growth.
• Ichiran: Tonkotsu ramen chain with globally recognized brand and large overseas footprint (US, Asia, Europe). Comparable as a specialty ramen chain that has translated Japanese ramen culture into international store formats and retail CPG products.
• Ippudo: Major Japanese ramen chain with international franchise operations across the US, Asia, and Europe. Comparable as a regional ramen brand that has scaled internationally via company-owned and franchise stores, with similar proprietary noodle craftsmanship as a core differentiator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cha_syu_
• Facebookfacebook.com/ollaria.e
• Instagraminstagram.com/bannai_kitakata
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%EF%BC%88%E6%A0%AA%EF%BC%89%E9%BA%BA%E9%A3%9F

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 （株）麺食