A Japanese curry rice chain with more than 1,000 branches around the globe, CoCo Ichibanya will finally open its first San Diego location next week after nearly 2 years in development.
Founded by Tokuji Munetsugu and his wife Naomi, CoCo Ichibanya started as a small cafe in 1974 before the first location opened in Nishi-Biwajima, Japan in 1978. The curry restaurant grew into the world's largest chain of curry restaurants and began franchising in the 1990s under a unique program to assist employees set up their own restaurants, known as the Bloom System. There are now more than 1,400 outposts around the world. In 2015, the company was acquired by Japan's House Foods Group with the aim of greatly expanding oversees.
CoCo Ichibanya offers a lengthy and customizable menu of Japanese curry dishes where patrons can choose from various levels of spice of the curry's base roux and different amounts of rice, as well as select from an eclectic array of toppings ranging from fried pork cutlet katsu to vegetable croquettes. There are also side dishes like salads, fries and Naan pizzas, as well as a variety of soft drinks.
CoCo Ichibanya will grand open on Monday, March 15, at 4428 Convoy Street in San Diego's Kearny Mesa neighborhood. For more information, visit ichibanyausa.com and check out the menu below.