As サンマルクホールディングス moves to strengthen its Japanese cuisine business, it has brought the udon business into its portfolio through a major acquisition as its third brand following its beef cutlet restaurants, with the total value reported to be nearly ¥13 billion. It is entering the udon restaurant business through the acquisition of TsuruTonTan, an udon restaurant chain.
サンマルクホールディングス, a major foodservice operator, has repeatedly pursued large-scale M&A transactions exceeding ¥10 billion as part of its efforts to strengthen its business portfolio. This time, it moved to acquire a specialty udon restaurant business as a new core business following its beef cutlet restaurants. This article outlines the background to that strategy and the specific developments. Its entry into the udon business through the acquisition of TsuruTonTan, an udon restaurant chain, has now become clear.
The acquisition is valued at nearly ¥13 billion and, like its previous major transactions, is positioned as part of the restructuring of the foodservice industry and the expansion of its brand portfolio. In the past, the group made a series of acquisitions centered on beef cutlet restaurants, with transaction values exceeding ¥10 billion, and this deal is likewise viewed as one of the group’s large-scale M&A transactions.
In the post-pandemic market environment, foodservice companies are stepping up efforts to bring in new formats and strong brands in response to market maturation and increasingly diverse demand. Through expanding its Japanese cuisine portfolio with beef cutlets and udon, サンマルクHD aims to establish a third brand, while also focusing on overseas expansion and capturing inbound demand.