menroku
ramen
franchise
let's get partner
« MENROKU ramen » has been a specialist in duck ramen in Japan since 2016, its Japanese/French fusion ramen offers an original, high-quality elegant cuisine that can be enjoyed as a popular dish. After the successful opening of numerous stores in Japan, Menroku ramen is seeking to open franchises all over the world and is looking for partners capable of transmitting the brand’s values. If you want your new store to be a crowd pleaser, join the Menroku team!
benefits
here are some benefits of joining the menroku team
* be partner with a shop No. 1 in Japan for its sales
* sales per seat in our Kyoto store : 1.12 million yen/month (7600$/seat/month)
* more than 15 years of experience in the restauration industry
* a dozen of restaurants opened in Japan
* fashionable store design
* personal contribution, entry fee and royalties are negociable
* expected profit in the second year after opening
* healthy, quality and trendy cuisine
* possibility to travel to Japan
* network on a human scale
* friendly versatile and competent team
* a selection of candidates focused on « human values »
* a support offering structured and effective training
* ongoing support anytime you need it
strenghts
what’s the secret behind Gion Duck Noodles’ success?
number one
Back in 2010, I lived in Singapore for a little while. At that time, there were very few authentic Japanese ramen shops, and the quality wasn’t great. When a famous Japanese shop opened, it instantly became a big deal, with long lines forming on the very first day. This kickstarted a ramen boom in Singapore, which then spread to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Jakarta, LA, and beyond. But as more and more famous ramen shops opened around the world, authentic Japanese ramen became less of a novelty. Nowadays, it’s clear which ramen shops are doing well and which aren’t.
The ramen industry in Japan is just as tough. New shops open daily, but over 70% of them close within three years. It’s a very competitive market. Despite this, Gion Duck Noodles managed to achieve the highest sales among all restaurants in Japan with our unique strategy. When you visit major cities around the world, you can always find ramen shops offering the same quality as in Japan, which is quite surprising. Now that authentic Japanese ramen is available everywhere, ramen shops like Gion Duck Noodles have a fantastic business opportunity ahead.
ORIGINAL PRODUCT
Product-Out or Market-In strategy? In Japan, where the manufacturing industry is a huge part of the economy (400 trillion yen!), people generally see the market-in approach (catering to market demands) as good and the product-out approach (focusing on the product itself) as bad.
In the restaurant world, phrases like “imitate thoroughly” are often praised, and strategies that cater to the market are considered the right way to go. However, unlike national chains that simply aim to fill the stomach at a low cost, individual restaurants should aim to satisfy the spirit through entertainment and art. Competing on price with the same mindset as big companies won’t work.
The market-in approach can generate decent sales, but it’s the product-out thinking, like with the iPhone, that truly touches people’s hearts and drives outstanding sales. We’re convinced that is a best strategy to go with.
UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
Before we opened, we built our restaurant based on the idea, “it would be fun to have a place like this”. Typically, in Japanese ramen shops, you buy a meal ticket, give it to the staff, and get your ramen. We decided not to use meal tickets. Our menu is made up only of emojis, making it intentionally hard to understand without the staff’s explanation. This increases interaction opportunities and provides a unique experience.
With rising labor costs, big chains are using touch panels to cut down on staff. We chose to do the opposite, focusing on what only humans can do, even if it costs more. We always tell our employees, “we don’t just sell delicious ramen; we sell the experience of eating delicious ramen!”.
With our unique presentation, interior design, and emoji-only menu, we aimed to provide an experience like a restaurant, breaking the traditional idea of ramen shops as just places to enjoy the taste. This one-of-a-kind strategy has helped us achieve the highest sales in Japan.
requirements
here are an example of essential requirements to be our partner
franchise fee
The franchise fee is your ticket to use our brand name, products and business model. The current cost ranges between $40.000 and $50.000 depending on the applications. It is also includes all the know-how technical methods and processes on how to run a ramen business., training and branding costs.
initial fee The franchise fee is your ticket to use our brand name, products and business model. The current cost ranges between $40.000 and $50.000 depending on the applications. It is also includes all the know-how technical methods and processes on how to run a ramen business., training and branding costs.
royalty fee
Gion Duck Noodles is introducing a 5% royalty fee on monthly gross sales for new franchisees. This fee supports ongoing brand development, marketing, and operational assistance to ensure your success. By contributing, you'll gain access to comprehensive support, training, and resources to grow your franchise. For any questions, feel free to contact us. We look forward to growing with you!
monthly fee Gion Duck Noodles is introducing a 5% royalty fee on monthly gross sales for new franchisees. This fee supports ongoing brand development, marketing, and operational assistance to ensure your success. By contributing, you'll gain access to comprehensive support, training, and resources to grow your franchise. For any questions, feel free to contact us. We look forward to growing with you!
advertising fee
In most franchise systems the franchisee is required to contribute a certain amount of money, called the advertising fee. Here it is free. We resolutely believe that the power of word of mouth and social networks marketing is enough to build a brand image.
none In most franchise systems the franchisee is required to contribute a certain amount of money, called the advertising fee. Here it is free. We resolutely believe that the power of word of mouth and social networks marketing is enough to build a brand image.
Précédent
Suivant
please consider these 3 points as an example and let’s talk about your franchise project together.
awards
awarded « RAMEN WEST 100 BEST RESTAURANTS », a selection of « 100 restaurants you should visit right now » by the TABELOG website, the largest publisher of restaurant reviews in Japan.
awarded « BEST SELLER RESTAURANT IN JAPAN », with the highest sales rate among all restaurants in Japan for several months.
story
Menroku ramen started as a small store in Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan on 2016. With the original theme of finding the perfect combination between duck and ramen, the owner, Matsunaga-san, who has a slightly unusual background – trained at a ramen restaurant in his student days and later trained as a French chef – serves delicate and delicious duck ramen with carefully selected ingredients.
Menroku ramen has French elegance and delicacy but can be enjoyed as a popular dish. This is an exquisite balance that makes Menroku ramen very unique.
In 2018, Gion Duck Noodles, a second store based on the same duck ramen concept with only emoji was opened in Gion, Kyoto. This foreigners friendly new store goal was to share an authentic ramen experience to customers from all over the world. It became an instant success and due to its uniqueness, it is supported by many customers, has received high ratings on online restaurant review sites, has received numerous interviews on TV and magazines, and became Japan number 1 top selling stores in eating and drinking establishments category in 2023.
Since then, other stores are born but Menroku goal hasn’t changed – to introduce the authentic ramen experience to customers from all over the world.
Menroku ramen is designed for ramen lovers, but not only! We of course make Ramen the traditional way, but we want we to take our ramen to the next level to make our customers travel in a more intense and unforgettable experience.
Join us to be a part of Menroku family and grow together.
partners
No need to come from the restaurant industry to be a franchise candidate. The qualities desired in our candidates are management, commercial and above all business manager qualities, mastering all aspects linked to the functioning of the life of a commercial entity.
Each franchisee manages his restaurant, his team, and ensures customer satisfaction, by promoting human, friendly and respectful relationships.
* The commercial soul: the way of welcoming our customers is essential for Menroku group and must be provided by the franchisee. The customer comes looking for perfection, and we seek their satisfaction and loyalty.
* Sense of management: managing your team with kindness is one of the cornerstones of Menroku philosophy. You must know how to listen to your employees, help them develop, involve them in current decisions and ensure their continued training.
* Administrative and financial management: the success of the project also depends on precise control of results and careful attention paid to all administrative aspects linked to the company.
* Mastery of techniques: the franchisee will also be trained in all the techniques related to the preparation of ramen in our central kitchen at Osaka, our shops in Kyoto or in the city the franchisee want to open a new Menroku shop.
* To have fun at work is our serious goal at Menroku so we want you to have FUN developing and opening your Menroku new restaurant.
support
BEFORE THE OPENING
Menroku offers a complete start-up pack for the franchisee : In addition to providing a graphic and architectural charter and a know-how manual, we help you find your site, find partners, recruitment assistance. This is an initial service package that allows you to move forward very quickly in opening and managing your new restaurant. A one-month initial training covering all aspects of managing a point of sale with the Japanese Menroku staff is included.
AFTER THE OPENING
We will help you on all subjects that concern your restaurant, you will have ongoing training and advice.
OPERATIONS & FIELD SUPPORT
* Initial management training and ongoing business and operations consultation.
* Access to corporate management team 24/7 in English, French or Japanese language.
* Ongoing support for your management team.
* Ongoing support for the entire term of your agreement.
* Store design and consulting assistance
* Site selection assistance
* Comprehensive training for you and your management team
* Opening support (pre and after opening)
* Weekly online meetings
* Quarterly Operational Assessments
* Social Media and website development assistance
