Japan's Marugame Udon Is Bringing Its Noodle Robots To California
Japan's Marugame Udon is a popular chain of udon restaurants with 1,000 restaurants in Japan and 13 other countries. Now it has plans to start expanding in the U.S., and it's opening a restaurant in Los Angeles in September.
The first Marugame Udon outside Japan opened in Hawaii in 2011, and the company went on to open outlets in 12 other countries. Now it's turning its focus back to the U.S. According to Nation's Restaurant News, Marugame Udon will be bringing its noodle-making robots to Sawtelle Boulevard in Los Angeles on September 14.
Marugame Udon is a cafeteria-style chain restaurant where people can customize their dishes to make whatever they want. It's particularly well-known for being comparatively inexpensive, and for being staffed by noodle-making robots instead of chefs.
The robots are stationed in an open kitchen, so people can watch them knead, cut, boil, and serve the noodles right in front of them.
The restaurant has hot and cold udon, rice bowls, and tempura. Udon bowls start at $4.50, and rice bowls start at $2.50. Both come with free toppings, and add-ons like tempura for $1.
The company has not yet said where it would like to open a restaurant next, but it did indicate that its goal is to expand across the country.