Toridoll takes full control of Marugame Udon

Private equity firm Capdesia Group has exited its investment in Marugame Udon four years after partnering with parent company Toridoll Holdings to launch the Japanese brand in the UK.

 

Toridoll will now assume full ownership of Marugame Udon (Europe) Ltd. while continuing as co-investors in the Fulham Shore Group, which owns and operates the Franco Manca and the Real Greek restaurants.

 

As part of the transition, finance director Sam McIntyre will take over from chief executive and Capdesia operating partner Keith Bird, who led on Marugame Udon’s rapid expansion to ten sites across the UK over the past three years.

 

Takashi Sugiyama, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Toridoll Holdings Corporation said: “We are grateful to Capdesia, Keith, and their respective teams for their efforts in launching our flagship brand in the UK successfully. In this journey, several new best practices have been developed jointly for the benefit of Marugame Udon globally in areas such as systems, people, culture, restaurant design, marketing, and CRM. These improvements have positioned us for future growth and to continue with our UK and European expansion ambitions.”

 

Bird added: “It has been an incredible journey bringing Marugame Udon to the UK. The dedication and passion of our team have been instrumental in establishing the brand and creating a solid foundation for future growth. I am confident that under Sam McIntyre’s leadership, Marugame Udon will continue to thrive and expand and deliver on its mission to bring udon to all.”

 

Marugame Udon was founded in Kakogawa City in Japan in 2000 and has since grown to over 1,000 sites across Asia, the USA and Russia. It launched its first site in London in 2021 ahead of a wider European roll-out.

 

Toridoll Holdings Corporation was founded by Takaya Awata in Kakogawa, Japan, in 1985. The company has annual system revenues of £1.2b and a portfolio of over 1,700 restaurants across 30 brands and 40 countries including Shoryu and Wok to Walk in Europe.

 

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