Saint Marc Holdings will acquire the udon restaurant chain TsuruTonTan. The company indicated that it plans to strengthen its overseas expansion through M&A involving Japanese cuisine brands, with the aim of expanding its store network in Japan and overseas.
Saint Marc Holdings announced this month that it will acquire the udon restaurant chain TsuruTonTan. The acquisition is part of the company’s strategy to strengthen its Japanese cuisine brands beyond its flagship Choco Cro product, and it is moving ahead with the purchase of TsuruTonTan. Through the acquisition, the company aims to expand its store network in Japan and overseas.
The company considers expansion with overseas openings in mind a priority, and is also considering opening franchise locations overseas. This follows its strategy of expanding its market portfolio through M&A involving Japanese cuisine brands.
In 2024, the company successively acquired Japanese cuisine brands including Kyoto Katsugyu and Gyukatsu Motomura, promoting a multi-brand strategy in Japan. The acquisition of TsuruTonTan is positioned as a move that represents the company’s approach to overseas expansion.
As TsuruTonTan also has experience expanding overseas, the company is thought to be considering operations tailored to local market needs. At the same time, some view the success or failure of overseas expansion as being influenced more by the suitability of the business format and operational efficiency than by the brand’s origins, when compared with its predominantly Western-style brands originating in Japan.