There's clearly good money to be made in noodles. Ubiquitous restaurant chain Ajisen China has announced that its revenues jumped by 51.1 per cent last year, to RMB904 m – and net profit rose 88.4 per cent, to RMB214m.
The firm has attributed the improved performance to greater brand
awareness and the rapid development of its restaurant network. Ajisen
had 210 restaurants in China when its annual results were prepared, and
has since increased its portfolio to 232.
To meet the growing demand, Ajisen China plans to build four new
production bases in Shanghai, Dongguan, Tianjin and Chengdu. The
Dongguan factory is slated to start production this year. The other
three facilities will open in 2009.
Ajisen Ramen was founded in Kumamoto, Japan, in 1968, and currently has more than 400 restaurants worldwide.