In the first half of the 2010s, Tokyo Chikara Meshi opened stores one after another near train stations in central Tokyo, attracting attention. The chain expanded to 130 stores, but closures followed in rapid succession as the cost of its fast growth, and financial results deteriorated sharply. It has now been reduced to just 2 locations in Japan. These developments are arranged chronologically.
In the first half of the 2010s, Tokyo Chikara Meshi, whose signature product was yakigyūdon, beef grilled and served over rice, opened its first store in Ikebukuro in June 2011. Its prices attracted attention, accelerating the pace of expansion, and the business continued to grow under the operation of Sanko Marketing Foods (now SANKO MARKETING FOODS).
The store network expanded rapidly, reaching 130 locations at the end of June 2013. At the same time, the effects of the rapid expansion became apparent, with 39 stores closed in the six months from July through December of that year, resulting in closures outnumbering openings.
According to the financial results announced that year, revenue for July–December 2013 was ¥10.353 billion, down 20.8% year on year. Operating income turned from a profit to a loss, with the loss reaching ¥1.625 billion. These figures were reported as the performance of the company as a whole, not of Tokyo Chikara Meshi alone.
The reasons the store network subsequently had to be reviewed are examined in the article, which indicates that the company reconsidered its expansion strategy and reduced the number of stores over the following several years. The number of domestic locations has now fallen sharply, reflecting the results of the restructuring.