Wagamama

About Wagamama

Wagamama is a British restaurant chain serving Asian food based on Japanese cuisine, which was founded in London in 1992 by Alan Yau. It was subsequently owned by Graphite Capital, Lion Capital and Duke Street Capital before the chain was then acquired for £559m by The Restaurant Group (TRG) in 2018. It has more than 170 sites in the UK and many more across the globe.

In March 2022, TRG said it expected to open three to four new US Wagamama sites under its joint venture partnership with Conversion Venture Capital, adding to the five it already operates there. The company also expects to open five to eight other new international franchise sites. That same month, the company rolled out lunchtime deliver-only concept BOX, while in March 2023, Wagamama launched a student hub support programme.

In February 2024, Wagamama said it had upped it openings target for this year to ten in the UK, and in May 2024, announced plans to expand to India. In September 2024, three Wagamama restaurants in Dublin closed after joint receivers appointed to part of the Press Up Hospitality Group failed to reach an agreement with Wagamama UK for the continued operation of the franchise in Ireland.

In November 2024, TRG chief executive Andy Hornby told Propel his golden rule is not to over-expand Wagamama. He said: “We won't over-expand it. That is, as far as I'm concerned, the golden rule. I'd rather be sat here in ten years’ time with 200 sites that are absolutely in the right place and are still showing decent life-for-likes than with 250-260 sites, and we’re starting to operate in places that are not real Wagamama catchments. I personally don't think a smaller Wagamama concept is necessarily the answer here in the UK, because that would still require us to go to catchments that maybe we would do better to stay out of.”

In April 2025, Wagamama chief executive Thomas Heier told Propel “soul club”, the brand’s first loyalty programme that was launched last July, has led to a higher frequency of visit by those signed up to the scheme, and a higher average spend per head.

In October 2025, Wagamama made its return to Northern Ireland after the closure of its two sites in the country. The brand closed its sites in Belfast’s Victoria Square and Dundonald in August but reopened the former as a company-owned site.

In June 2026, launched a premium grab-and-go concept, with the first ‘on the move’ site opening in partnership with TRG Concessions at Heathrow airport’s Terminal 5.

Francisco Neves, senior vice-president of franchise and partnerships at Wagamama, said: “The launch of ‘on the move’ marks an important evolution for the Wagamama experience, created specifically for the needs of today’s traveller. We know passengers are looking for high quality food that is both convenient and full of flavour, and ‘on the move’ allows us to deliver exactly that in a fast, flexible format. We’re excited to deliver our guest’s classic Wagamama favourites in a new travel friendly format.”

Wagamama previous launched grab-and-go concept Mamago in November 2019 in London’s Fenchurch Street, but the project was curtailed by the covid pandemic.

In July 2026, Wagamama said it is to make its roadside debut with an opening at the Beaconsfield M40 motorway services. TRG Concessions has applied to open a Wagamama on the former PizzaExpress site at the services, which will be operated under franchise.

Why franchise with Wagamama

• ✓Wagamama has successfully developed the brand internationally with franchising for more than 20 years, with franchised restaurants in 22 different countries across Europe and the Middle East. The Wagamama franchise system is a “whole life” system with a structured on-boarding process and training for each new franchisee group, with on-going leadership and management processes designed to achieve the maximum potential for each restaurant.
• ✓Prior experience of working with a global brand in either a franchise or licensed environment is very important, while experience of retail real estate are ideal in franchise candidates. Anyone interested in becoming a franchise owner should also have a strong interest in Japanese cuisine, and be familiar with Wagamama’s ethos and approach to its products.
• ✓When a franchisee joins the Wagamama franchise, the team will review your training needs and tailor its coaching scheme to suit them. It will also help determine where to launch the business in order to achieve the optimal return on investment, and offer support through Wagamama’s national advertising campaigns and marketing initiatives for each new location.
• ✓Wagamama is actively looking for franchise partners to develop its brand in Germany, and although it is not, at this point, planning to develop in other regions, potential franchisees can register interest for any particular market. To start a new franchise with Wagamama, the initial franchise fee costs £40,000. Franchise partners are also expected to have at least £40,000 in liquid capital available, and further costs may be incurred in setting up a restaurant including legal fees, lease charges, recruitment and more.