TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Torikizoku, one of Japan's most popular restaurant chains, has announced plans to expand to Taiwan this year through a joint venture with City Chain Food, a local food supplier.

Dachan Great Wall Group, the owner of City Chain Food, signed an agreement on Monday (March 4) with Torikizoku Holdings for this collaboration. According to CNA, both companies will have an equal 50% stake in the venture.

Torikizoku is renowned for its yakitori, a Japanese-style skewered grilled chicken. The restaurant chain has become well-known for its reasonable prices and operates over 600 stores across Japan.

The first Torikizoku branch in Taiwan will be a flagship store located in an undisclosed commercial district in Taipei, set to open in the third quarter of this year. More outlets are planned for other major Taiwanese cities, with a store in Taichung scheduled to open next year.

The target customer base is individuals between the ages of 20 and 50 in addition to families. Dachan will be responsible for supplying chicken meat to these establishments, which are expected to offer slightly higher prices compared to those in Japan.

CEO Tadashi Okura said that the Taipei branch will mark Torikizoku's first overseas store, highlighting the cultural affinity between Taiwan and Japan, particularly regarding skewered chicken.

In 2023, Dachan reported a revenue of NT$110.8 billion (US$3.5 billion). The Japan Times reported that the first store in Taiwan is expected to begin operations in July, and Torikizoku is also planning to expand into Hong Kong.