Wagamama
Encyclopedia
Wagamama is a British
-headquartered restaurant chain, serving pan-Asian food in the style of a modern Japanese Ramen
bar.
, who subsequently created the Chinese
restaurants Hakkasan
and Yauatcha
in London, the first Wagamama opened in 1992 off Gower Street
in Bloomsbury
.
The chain currently includes 105 restaurants, with 66 across the United Kingdom
, and a further 39 branches overseas in Ireland
, the Netherlands
, Turkey
, Australia
, Kuwait
, the U.A.E., Belgium
, Malta
, New Zealand
, Switzerland
, Egypt
, Cyprus
, Denmark
, Greece
, Sweden
and the United States
; the first three in Boston
in 2007. Wagamama operates no restaurants in Asia, a consequence of a menu intentionally pitched at Western consumers rather than designed for authenticity.
After a failed IPO in 2004 under previous owner Graphite Capital
, in 2005 Lion Capital LLP
bought an 88% stake for £102M. In 2010 it appointed advisers N M Rothschild & Sons
to put the chain up for sale for £250M.
adjective わがまま (我侭, 我儘) is self-indulgence. Their trademark
ed slogan
is: positive eating + positive living, and their philosophy is defined as "combining fresh and nutritious food in an elegant yet simple setting with helpful, friendly service and value for money".
, and wirelessly networked to the kitchen
. Once orders are taken, food order numbers are written on customers' paper menus and food is delivered to the table once cooked, which means dishes may not be served at the same time. Customers sit on either side of large tables, seating as many as 20 people at one table.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-headquartered restaurant chain, serving pan-Asian food in the style of a modern Japanese Ramen
Ramen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...
bar.
History
Created by Alan YauAlan Yau
Alan Yau , OBE is a London-based restaurateur who is best known for founding the Wagamama food chain in the United Kingdom...
, who subsequently created the Chinese
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
restaurants Hakkasan
Hakkasan
Hakkasan is a high-class modern Chinese restaurant in the West End of London, England, at Hanway Place. The restaurant was created by Alan Yau, also behind the Wagamama Japanese restaurant chain and the newer Yauatcha restaurant, also in London...
and Yauatcha
Yauatcha
Yauatcha is a Chinese restaurant in Broadwick Street, Soho, London, England, specialising in dim sum.The restaurant was created in 2004 by Alan Yau, who previously created the Wagamama Japanese and Busaba Eathai Thai restaurant chains and the more expensive Hakkasan restaurant, also in London...
in London, the first Wagamama opened in 1992 off Gower Street
Gower Street (London)
Gower Street is a street in Bloomsbury, Central London, England, running between Euston Road to the north and Montague Place to the south.North Gower Street is a separate street running north of the Euston Road...
in Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
.
The chain currently includes 105 restaurants, with 66 across the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and a further 39 branches overseas in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, the U.A.E., Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; the first three in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 2007. Wagamama operates no restaurants in Asia, a consequence of a menu intentionally pitched at Western consumers rather than designed for authenticity.
After a failed IPO in 2004 under previous owner Graphite Capital
Graphite Capital
Graphite Capital Management is a private equity firm focused on middle market leveraged buyout investments, primarily in the UK. The firm also houses a fund of funds platform that invests in other private equity funds across Europe and the US...
, in 2005 Lion Capital LLP
Lion Capital LLP
Lion Capital LLP is a British private equity firm, primarily focusing on leveraged buyout investments in Europe. The firm specializes on investments in the consumer sector...
bought an 88% stake for £102M. In 2010 it appointed advisers N M Rothschild & Sons
N M Rothschild & Sons
N M Rothschild & Sons is a private investment banking company, belonging to the Rothschild family...
to put the chain up for sale for £250M.
Brand
The chain's website defines wagamama as meaning "willful/naughty child"; however, a more accurate translation of the JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
adjective わがまま (我侭, 我儘) is self-indulgence. Their trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
ed slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
is: positive eating + positive living, and their philosophy is defined as "combining fresh and nutritious food in an elegant yet simple setting with helpful, friendly service and value for money".
Features
Wagamama has a number of features that have since been adopted by many restaurants. Orders are taken via PDAsPersonal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
, and wirelessly networked to the kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
. Once orders are taken, food order numbers are written on customers' paper menus and food is delivered to the table once cooked, which means dishes may not be served at the same time. Customers sit on either side of large tables, seating as many as 20 people at one table.