Marugame Udon's Bay Area expansion (2019)
Marugame Udon, a Japanese udon chain, opened its first Bay Area location in San Francisco's Westfield Centre. The chain was known for affordable, high-quality udon bowls made fresh in front of customers.
The opening drew long lines during the first months, with customers eager for the fresh-made udon experience.
Marugame Udon expanded to multiple Bay Area locations, showing that Japanese fast-casual concepts can build a strong following in the region.
Marugame Udon's success shows a Japanese food chain can thrive in the Bay Area. Yumee Katsu's Japanese-Korean katsu concept occupies a similar fast-casual niche.
