Harajuku Tokyo Café, a Japanese-inspired quick-service restaurant (QSR), has secured Rs190m ($2m) in its seed funding round.

The funding was jointly led by the Indian Angel Network (IAN) and Samved VC, an early-stage venture capital fund.

Additional participation came from LetsVenture and Capitar Ventures, a firm specialising in venture debt.

Harajuku Tokyo Café intends to deploy the newly acquired funds to fuel its growth strategy, which includes expanding its footprint into new markets and enhancing operational capabilities.

Harajuku Tokyo Café founder and CEO Gaurav Kanwar said: “This funding milestone strengthens our vision of democratising Japanese cuisine in India.

“What began as a passion project to make Japanese food accessible has evolved into a scalable business model that resonates with India’s evolving palate. With our Mumbai launch exceeding all expectations and this funding secured, we’re positioned to become India’s leading Japanese dining destination.”

Established in 2021 by Gaurav Kanwar, Harajuku Tokyo Café currently operates seven outlets situated within Delhi NCR and Mumbai.

The brand has reported an annual recurring revenue exceeding Rs300m.

Looking ahead, Harajuku Tokyo Café aims to scale up its operations to 90 outlets spanning 20 cities by 2027.

This expansion is expected to propel the company's revenue beyond Rs2bn.

Preliminary agreements indicating interest for new locations have been signed for various Indian cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Ludhiana, and Chandigarh.

This funding follows the brand’s opening of its latest location at Jio World Drive in Mumbai, India.

The new Mumbai location features a dual-concept space comprising a 72-seat café and bar alongside a smaller 12-seat bakehouse.