Marufuku

What Marufuku does

Marufuku Ramen is a U.S. restaurant operator and franchisor founded in 2017 in Japan Town, San Francisco. The company sells authentic Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen — a milky, umami-rich broth produced by long-simmered pork bones — alongside chicken paitan ramen, mini rice bowls, izakaya-style appetizers, and premium beer and sake. Its core technology is traditional preparation methods rather than proprietary software or platform infrastructure, with the brand self-describing as the "#1 authentic Hakata-style ramen franchise in North America."

The business operates through both company-owned and franchised restaurant locations, with 14 operational sites across Northern California (San Francisco, Oakland, Redwood City, Cupertino, Campbell, Serramonte, Dublin, Walnut Creek), Southern California (Irvine, Del Mar), Texas (Frisco, Austin), and Nevada (Las Vegas, Summerlin), plus a Palo Alto site marked "Coming Soon." Channels include dine-in, direct online ordering via order.online and ToastTab, third-party delivery via DoorDash, and catering through ezCater. The franchise program uses a structured 7-phase onboarding (intake, FDD review, approval, site selection, build-out, training, grand opening) and is marketed to entrepreneurs and multi-unit operators with an average total investment of approximately $1.5M per unit.

Marufuku monetizes through four streams: a one-time $50,000 initial franchise fee per restaurant, a recurring 5% royalty on franchisee net sales, a 1% advertising fund contribution, and direct company-owned restaurant sales of ramen and beverages. The firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional or PE/VC backing, 1-10 corporate employees, and no publicly disclosed revenue. No AI, software platform, or proprietary digital technology is part of the offering.

Name

Marufuku

Legal name

Marufuku Ramen

Website

https://marufukuramen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marufuku Ramen operates and franchises authentic Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen restaurants across California, Texas, and Nevada, serving consumer diners and franchisee operators through 14+ locations and a structured 7-phase franchise program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Ramen Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Hakata-style ramen
• Japanese restaurant chain
• Ramen franchise
• Tonkotsu ramen
• Japanese casual dining

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $50,000 per restaurant, paid at signing of franchise agreement. This is a one-time fee for the right to use the Marufuku Ramen brand and operating system.
2. Royalty Fees: Ongoing royalty of 5% of net sales collected from franchisees. This provides recurring revenue based on franchisee performance.
3. Advertising Fees: Continuing advertising fee of 1% of net sales, contributing to brand marketing fund.
4. Company-Owned Restaurant Sales: Direct restaurant revenue from company-owned locations selling ramen, appetizers, beer, and sake to consumer diners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Marufuku Ramen operates a chain of casual Japanese restaurants serving authentic Hakata-style Tonkotsu ramen (milky pork-bone broth, ultra-thin artisanal noodles, premium cha-shu), chicken paitan ramen, mini-sized rice bowls, izakaya-style appetizers, and premium beer and sake. The company generates revenue both through direct restaurant sales at company-owned locations and through franchise licensing, royalties, and advertising fees across 14 operational locations in California, Texas, and Nevada.

Product overview

Marufuku Ramen is a restaurant chain offering authentic Hakata-style Tonkotsu ramen as its core product, complemented by chicken paitan ramen, mini rice bowls, izakaya-style appetizers, and premium beverages. The company operates multiple company-owned locations across California, Texas, and Nevada, and offers a franchise program for expansion. Products are available for dine-in, takeout, and delivery through third-party platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hakata-Style Tonkotsu Ramen Marufuku's signature dish featuring authentic Hakata-style Tonkotsu ramen with a milky and umami-rich broth made from boiling pork bones for long hours, ultra-thin artisanal noodles, and cha-shu made from specially selected pork. Served at all restaurant locations for dine-in, takeout, and delivery.
• Chicken Paitan Ramen Rich white chicken paitan ramen with chicken cha-shu, offered as an alternative to the pork-based tonkotsu ramen. Served at restaurant locations.
• Mini-Sized Rice Bowls Small-portioned rice bowl dishes served alongside ramen offerings at restaurant locations.
• Izakaya-Style Appetizers Japanese pub-style small plates and appetizers complementing the ramen menu at restaurant locations.
• Premium Beer and Sake Alcoholic beverage offerings including premium beer and sake served at restaurant locations.
• Marufuku Ramen Franchise Franchise opportunity allowing entrepreneurs to open Marufuku Ramen locations. Includes comprehensive training, operational support, marketing assistance, site selection guidance, design and construction support, and grand opening marketing.
• In-Store Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase in-store only at each restaurant location; not sold through any third-party platforms.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partnership allowing Marufuku Ramen customers to order delivery through the DoorDash platform at various locations including Austin.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Ivan Ramen: Ivan Ramen is a US-based ramen concept founded by a celebrity chef with locations in NYC and beyond. It targets the same premium, authentic ramen diner but operates at a smaller, more boutique scale than Marufuku's franchise model.
• Silverlake Ramen: Silverlake Ramen is a California-based ramen chain operating in the LA area with multiple locations. It competes in the same Southern California casual ramen segment as some Marufuku locations but at a smaller regional scale.
• Marugame Udon: Marugame Udon is a Japanese fast-casual noodle chain with US locations focused on udon. It overlaps with Marufuku in Japanese-bowl fast-casual format and target consumer, even though the core noodle type differs.

Broad incumbents

• Wagamama: Wagamama is a broader pan-Asian fast-casual chain operating in the US with an extensive menu spanning ramen, noodles, and rice bowls. It competes with Marufuku for Asian-casual dining occasions but offers a much wider portfolio of dishes.
• Haidilao: Haidilao is a large, well-funded Chinese-origin restaurant group with US locations and a broad Asian dining portfolio. While primarily a hotpot concept, it competes for Asian-casual dining occasions and has the brand and capital scale Marufuku lacks.

Direct peers

• Ichiran: Ichiran is a Japanese tonkotsu ramen specialist known for its solo-booth dining format and authentic Hakata-style broth. It is a direct competitor to Marufuku in the authentic tonkotsu ramen niche and operates multiple US locations.
• KazuNori: KazuNori is a US ramen concept focused on traditional Japanese-style ramen with multiple locations, primarily on the West Coast. It targets a similar consumer segment seeking authentic, broth-forward ramen experiences.
• Ramen Nagi: Ramen Nagi is a Japanese-origin ramen chain with US locations specializing in customizable tonkotsu and other broth styles. It competes for the same Japanese-authentic ramen diner and shares Marufuku's premium-broth positioning.
• Jinya Ramen Bar: Jinya is a US-based fast-casual ramen chain with multiple locations across California and other states, offering tonkotsu and other ramen styles. It directly competes with Marufuku in the same Hakata-style tonkotsu segment with similar franchise and company-owned growth models.
• Ippudo: Ippudo is a globally recognized Japanese ramen brand originating from Fukuoka (Hakata), directly aligning with Marufuku's Hakata-style tonkotsu positioning. It operates multiple US locations and competes for the same ramen-enthusiast consumer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/marufukuramenofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marufuku-ramen

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 Marufuku