Marugame Udon appoints head of franchise for UK & Europe
Udon noodles and tempura restaurant brand, Marugame Udon, has appointed Judd Williams to the newly created role of head of franchise for UK & Europe.
Williams joins from Boparan Restaurant Group where, as international development director for the last four and a half years, he delivered expansion through franchise across brands including Giraffe, Carluccio's and Slim Chickens. He has also previously held international franchise leadership roles in brands including Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Costa Express.
Marugame Udon – which has more than 1,200 sites across Asia, Europe, and the US – made its UK and European debut in London last year with its flagship site off Liverpool Street, followed by openings in the O2, Canary Wharf and St Christopher's Place. In mid-June, the brand opened its fifth restaurant in London at Brent Cross.
In his new role, Judd will be responsible for leading growth of the Marugame Udon's operations through franchise in the UK and Europe, recruiting and working in partnership with multi-unit brand operators to support Marugame Udon's plans to roll out further sites across London, the rest of the UK and Europe.
He said: "This is a really exciting role with an iconic brand. I'm looking forward to working to help deliver our growth ambition to bring the Marugame Udon experience to more new customers through experienced franchise partners."
Keith Bird, chief executive of Marugame Udon Europe said: "We're thrilled to welcome Judd into our growing team. We have exciting expansion plans and with his knowledge and experience he will be an integral part of us achieving this."
