Oodles Wok

About Oodles Wok

Oodles Wok is a family-owned fast-casual Indo-Chinese brand founded by Mohammed Umar in 2010, starting out in a modest takeaway in Leicester. It now operates circa 50 restaurants across the UK and has plans for nationwide expansion, with the aim of becoming the UK’s fastest growing Indo Chinese brand and reaching 50 restaurants by the end of 2023, and 100 by 2025.

In July 2022, it sold eight territories across two multi-store franchisees in Scotland, with a number of prime territories still available in the country. In August 2022, Oodles appointed Ian Jeffery as the commercial and global director, and Simon Robinson as operations director, to help realise its expansion plans. Jeffrey will have full responsibility for leading the Oodles business development and franchise recruitment in the UK and internationally, having previously been head of global development at Chicken Cottage, head of compliance at Creams Franchising and senior operations manager at Starbucks and KFC. Robinson, who has formerly worked for German Doner Kebab, Heavenly Desserts and Starbucks among others, will oversee all operational elements of the business and help lead and support its growth plans.

It made its Scottish debut in Aberdeen in the summer of 2022, sharing a former Sainsbury’s store with Heavenly Desserts, and is “closing in” on its first international site. In February 2024, Oodles said it is preparing to open its southernmost site yet, in Portsmouth, and is seeking partners in the south and south west as it looks to roll out further in the region. The business added that it is gearing up to make its international debut in 2024.

“At Oodles, we’re gearing up for an incredible journey towards international expansion this year.,” it said. “This marks a significant milestone in our growth journey as we venture into new territories and continue to innovate in the international arena.”

In July 2024, Oodles revealed a pipeline of eight further openings in 2024, including a Welsh debut, which will take it past the 50-site mark in the UK. “The past six months have been nothing short of transformative for Oodles,” a company spokesman said. “We’ve taken a significant leap from being a nationwide brand to marking our global expansion. We also opened three new stores, with Milton Keynes, Burton, Bolton, Swansea, and two stores in London coming before the end of this year in England alone. After the success in England and Scotland, we are also entering Wales, with two stores in the buildout phase in Cardiff and Newport.”

Oodles, which has grown its team to 350 in the same timeframe, has also launched a loyalty app. “In response to the overwhelming love from our customers, we launched our very own rewards app,” the spokesman added. “This app not only rewards our loyal customers, but also establishes a direct link with them. The benefits have been immense for both users and our franchise partners.”

Oodles made its international debut in October 2024, in Dubai. “The cat is out of the bag - Oodles Chinese is expanding to Dubai,” Umar said. “We’re also dreaming big about expanding the Oodles brand globally, and here’s to taking the art of Asian fusion cuisine global!”

Fahim Khan, Oodles’ head of franchise development, added: “In the fourth quarter of last year, we sat in the boardroom discussing the ambitious targets for 2024, and one thing was crystal clear: Oodles was ready for international expansion. This is just the beginning though. Soon, we’ll be rolling out the Oodles franchise across the UAE and the GCC.”

In December 2024, the company rebrand to Oodles Wok and opened two stores within the space of a day, including its Welsh debut, in Cardiff. In March 2025, the brand said it is seeking prime high-footfall locations in Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham as it continues its northern expansion, and revealed plans to enter its second international market later this year after signing a 50-store agreement in Canada.

“We are thrilled to announce that Oodles Wok has signed a master licence for Canada, with a development plan of 50 stores,” a company spokesman said. “After our continued success in the UK and our exciting international expansion into the UAE in 2024, we are now set to bring our fresh, made-to-order Indo-Chinese flavours to Canada.”

In July 2025, Oodles Wok said it is targeting new locations in London’s suburbs as it looks to expand in the capital - specifically in west and south London - and in October 2025, said it is set to launch in Qatar.

Oodles opened its second Canadian location in January 2026, in Brampton, Toronto, and in August 2026, Oodles opened its second Qatar site, in Doha.

Why franchise with Oodles Wok

• ✓After filling out an application, franchisees will have a discovery meeting, followed by interviews about locations and capital. The signing of the franchise documents will then be followed by a further discovery meeting, and three to four weeks of on-site training ahead of opening. The average franchise cost is £180,000-£200,000, although each store is different and dependent on a number of variables, with an initial franchise fee of £25,000. Monthly royalty and marketing fees are based on a fixed fee model rather than revenue based and discussed during the interview process.
• ✓No experience is needed, and Oodles will assist with location, funding and shop fit-out and offer a full training programme. The company recommends that franchisees look to open in an area where they have a strong local knowledge, and warns that it has a waiting list in certain popular locations. Oodles has a proven business model and puts customer needs at the heart of its growth strategy.
• ✓The company said: “As a franchisee, you will have excellent support and a wealth of unmatched experience at your fingertips. This includes experts who have managed their own stores and specialists who provide support on everything from finance, operations and marketing. From the outset, Oodles provides an extensive training programme to ensure the quality and service standards are maintained across every part of the franchise network.”

Investment breakdown