Growing a global brand from the shop floor
At a glance, an Organizational Growth case
Marugame Udon, a rapidly expanding Japanese restaurant chain, operates across Asia, Europe, and NA. Growth came fast, alignment did not. We partnered to build a shared culture that could travel globally while staying rooted in everyday reality on the shop floor.
Marugame Udon has grown to over 1,100 restaurants globally, scaling rapidly across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Up to 75% of the customer experience in hospitality is shaped by frontline employee behavior, not brand communications.
Nearly 80% of employees say they perform better when they feel connected to a company’s purpose and culture.
Business Challenge
One culture, many local expressions
Each country faced a different phase of growth, and relationship to food and work. The manifestation of values in operations were interpreted differently across regions. The challenge was to create a unifying culture without imposing a one-size-fits-all model, while the business continued to evolve.
Humanizing Journey
From corporate values to shop-floor behavior
We started from the ground up. By spending time in restaurants, working shifts, tasting food, and experiencing the brand as customers and colleagues, we built empathy for everyday realities. Using Marugame Udon language, we translated culture from abstract values into concrete behaviors.
Impact
A living culture that fuels global growth
Marugame Udon gained a living culture system that could travel globally while respecting local realities. Culture became actionable, measurable, and embedded into everyday work. Not a set of posters or principles.
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