How Japanese curry chain ‘CoCoIchi’ made its mark in India, convincing locals along the way
- CoCo Ichibanya started considering entering the Indian market a decade ago, waiting for an opportunity to take ‘a gamble in the home of curry’
- After some disruptions during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Indian customers now account for roughly 70 per cent of the total clientele
“We will forge our footing in and around New Delhi by opening more outlets and establish a nationwide chain,” said Hirosuke Nakamura, chief operating officer of the company’s local joint venture Ichibanya India.
Based in Ichinomiya, Aichi prefecture, Ichibanya made its overseas debut in the United States in 1994 and has since opened restaurants in markets with “rice-based cultures”, such as China, Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand.
Ichibanya started considering entering the Indian market a decade ago, waiting for an opportunity to take “a gamble in the home of curry”, Nakamura said.
When the first shop opened it was initially frequented mainly by Japanese businesspeople but gradually began to lure more locals.
Indian customers began to outnumber Japanese from last December. Since reopening following a two-month closure from mid-May due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Indian customers now account for roughly 70 per cent of the total clientele.