Conran to open restaurant chain in Japan

The Conran Group is set to boost its profile in Asia by opening a string of restaurants in Japan.

In a deal with Japanese restaurant group Hiramatsu, Conran plans to launch eight to 10 sites over the next decade. A spokesperson for the group said: "We aim to build a business with aggregate sales of between £25m and £30m a year." The first site will open in Tokyo in 2006.

Sir Terence Conran's empire already runs an established retail and interior design brand in Japan which will take charge of concept development and design - right down to napkins and glasses.

Hiramatsu will manage and staff the business once it is up and running and food will be mostly European in style. The Japanese food operator described the outlets as "destination restaurants, targeting the jet-set (and) international executives".

Much like Conran's restaurants elsewhere, menus and prices will vary from restaurant to restaurant. "We'll be taking the successful elements from our restaurants in England while being sensitive to local needs," said Conran's spokesperson.