Kyuramen acquires Aokō Matcha, plans 30 U.S. locations this year

Kyuramen Group is turning Aokō Matcha into more than a side project. The company announced on May 13 that it had acquired the New York-based café concept and plans to open 30 Aokō Matcha locations over the next year, including a mix of standalone shops and in-store units inside select Kyuramen restaurants.

For restaurant workers, that makes this a labor story as much as a brand story. A ramen operation that adds a premium matcha program has to train staff on a second menu language fast, from drink assembly and portioning to allergen handling, upselling, and keeping speed of service intact when the line gets busy. Kyuramen is betting the format can widen dayparts, lift ticket averages, and give managers a reason to cross-train staff across two concepts. It also raises the risk that more SKUs, more prep, and tighter storage will slow service if training lags behind expansion.

Aokō Matcha launched in Manhattan’s West Village in 2025 at 275 Bleecker Street with a structured tasting experience built around five levels of matcha gelato, ranging from mild to bold ceremonial-grade profiles. The menu also includes lattes, frappes, Japanese teas, parfaits, soft serve, and matcha-infused desserts, a lineup designed to work as a café on its own and as a dessert add-on inside a ramen restaurant. Kyuramen said the concept will operate both ways.

The first soft openings under Kyuramen ownership were in Bayside, Queens, and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, in May 2026. Additional sites are planned for Wall Street in Manhattan, Toms River, New Jersey, and Burlington, Massachusetts. Kyuramen said the acquisition fits a broader push to build a multi-concept Japanese hospitality platform, not just a larger ramen chain.

Founder Gary Lin said Aokō Matcha is a natural extension of the company’s platform and its commitment to Japanese culture and craftsmanship. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The move also fits Kyuramen’s longer expansion pattern. In July 2024, FSR reported that the chain had about 30 U.S. locations, was aiming for 50 more franchise openings by the end of 2024, and had set a goal of 200 U.S. stores by 2025. That kind of speed can create room for shift leaders, trainers, and assistant managers to move up. It can also expose the weak point in many restaurant growth plans: whether the company can scale the labor model as quickly as it scales the menu.