Pan-Asian restaurant chain Wagamama has announced plans to expand its UK presence with 10 new restaurants, creating 500 jobs.
The first opened in Bentley Bridge, Wolverhampton at the end of January 2024, signalling growing consumer demand for the brand.
The chain, which offers casual dining with bench seating, has been a fixture in the UK for 32 years with 170 locations.
Wagamama’s new openings, including sites in Glasgow, Epsom, Doncaster, Chatham and Watford, will offer roles from kitchen porters to general managers.
Wagamama CEO Thomas Heier described 2023 as an “exciting year,” highlighting the introduction of Korean-inspired dishes such as vegan corn dogs and hot pots.
“Our teams have done an excellent job in continuing to elevate our guest experience and we very much look forward to welcoming more guests to our benches as we head into 2024,” Heier said in a statement.
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By GlobalDataThe company has seen a significant increase in sales, with a more than 10% jump in the half-year to August 2023 on a like-for-like basis.
This growth comes as The Restaurant Group, Wagamama’s parent company, divested its underperforming chains Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito to Big Table Group.
In July 2023 Wagamama re-opened its Noodle Lab in Soho, London.
Located on Great Marlborough Street, the restaurant brand’s new experimental kitchen will be open seven days a week.
The company plans to use the location as its new test kitchen for creating new menu items.
Wagamama also plans to host a series of new collaborations with food innovators from across the country at the Noodle Lab.