Fuji in japanese curry-restaurant jv

Fuji - the local operator of six Japanese restaurant brands - hopes to build on its strong foundation here and use the country as its base to expand into other countries in Southeast Asia.

The partners each have a 50-per-cent stake in a joint-venture company called Ichibanya Midwest Asia, which has registered capital of Bt50 million.

CoCoIchibanya restaurants feature both standard and customised menus. The customised dishes, which start at Bt110, allow diners to choose toppings such as fried chicken, pork cutlet, seafood, cheese and sausage, three kinds of sauces and the level of spiciness.

Standard menu items range from Bt130 to Bt170.

The first branch, which was officially opened yesterday at The Esplanade shopping mall, required an investment of Bt20 million. It can seat about 90 customers.

Target customers are university students and working people, as well as Japanese food lovers who spend time in downtown Bangkok, said Fuji Group managing director Daisaku Tanaka.

The company expects to open five more branches in Bangkok next year.

Tanaka declined to reveal expected sales from the CoCoIchibanya venture, but said its focus during the first few years would be on building strong brand awareness and gradually expanding the number of branches.

It plans to open up to 10 branches before considering whether to expand its business through the franchise system. It is also looking for opportunities to expand into nearby countries.

Tanaka is confident that the Japanese curry restaurant chain will succeed in Thailand, as it is the first of its kind here. Moreover, Japanese food has already become a regular part of many Thais' diets.

CoCoIchibanaya is already a major worldwide brand, with 1,142 outlets in Japan, nine in China, four in the United States, three in Taiwan and one in South Korea. Turnover last year was Bt21.76 billion.

Fuji Group currently has six brands, five of which are available in Thailand, including the Shindaikoku and Fuji restaurant chains.