FOCUS: Curry House CoCo Ichi Sets Sights on Major Expansion in India

Tokyo, Dec. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese curry restaurant chain operator Ichibanya Co. aims to launch a full-scale expansion of its Curry House CoCo Ichibanya, or CoCo Ichi, restaurant network across India. The company, headquartered in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, in central Japan, now operates two outlets in India, including one in the capital, New Delhi, five years after opening its first restaurant in the birthplace of curry. Although the chain initially struggled with low name recognition in the Indian market, its curry dishes have gradually gained popularity as a form of Japanese cuisine. The first CoCo Ichi restaurant in India opened in August 2020, followed by a second outlet in October 2022. Since the World Health Organization lifted the COVID-19 state of emergency in May 2023, both customer traffic and sales have surpassed year-earlier levels. In the six months through August this year, each store welcomed an average of about 3,500 customers per month. In the chain’s early days in India, Japanese customers accounted for roughly 60 pct of visitors, compared with 40 pct for Indian customers. As the restaurants grew in popularity through word of mouth, this composition flipped. Locals now make up around 80 pct of the customer base, with Japanese customers representing the remaining 20 pct. In India, where Hindus, who regard cows as sacred, make up a large majority of the population and many people are vegetarian, CoCo Ichi has adapted its menu by emphasizing chicken, seafood and vegetable toppings instead of beef or pork. Popular items include chicken cutlet curry, priced at 645 rupees, or about 1,100 yen; vegetable curry, at 495 rupees, or about 850 yen; and egg salad, at 295 rupees, or about 500 yen–a lineup that has also been well received in Japan. The crispy, breaded chicken cutlet is the standout favorite, with about 40 pct of customers ordering it, according to the company. Authentic Indian curry is traditionally prepared with a rich blend of many different spices. At CoCo Ichi restaurants, by contrast, customers can customize the heat of their curry, choosing a spice level that suits their taste, from “Mild Flavor” all the way up to “Spice Level 20.” According to Ichibanya, most customers at its restaurants in India choose “Regular Spiced,” a standard medium level, or “Spice Level 1.” Even those who prefer hotter dishes rarely go beyond “Spice Level 3,” which is about four times as spicy as Level 1. Company officials said they were surprised by the relatively low number of orders for very spicy curry. Many customers in India appear to prefer the “Regular Spiced” option, viewing the chain’s curry dishes as a type of foreign cuisine. As of the end of September this year, the company was operating 209 stores across 12 countries and regions overseas. It first began considering expansion into India around 2011. In 2013, after the company set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of single-serving curries sold in a week, then President Toshiya Hamajima urged employees to seriously pursue the Indian market. “Can you proudly call yourself No. 1 in the world without taking on the authentic home of curry, India?” he asked. Even with that push, the company’s entry into India took time. Now, five years after its long-awaited market debut, CoCo Ichi’s first two restaurants in India have been well received. Yet many challenges remain before the chain can achieve truly nationwide expansion. “India is experiencing remarkable economic growth, but foreign food culture has yet to gain broad acceptance,” a company official said. Even so, Ichibanya sees significant potential: if Japanese-style curry becomes widely recognized in a country of about 1.4 billion people, the company’s market could expand rapidly. “We aim to establish outlets not only in New Delhi but also in other major cities, and to operate 100 restaurants (in India) over the next decade,” the official added. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]