Kyuramen Group opened its first co-branded location Thursday in New York City's Financial District, pairing its new fast-casual ramen format with two companion concepts — Bao Dumpling and Aokō Matcha — under a single roof.

The anchor concept, Kyuramen Express, marks the company's first fast-casual variation of a ramen chain that otherwise operates nearly 60 full-service outlets. The format shift matters for unit economics: fast-casual ramen typically runs leaner labor and real estate requirements than full-service noodle houses, and the co-branding model spreads one location's rent and staffing across three revenue streams.

What else is on the menu?

The second brand, Bao Dumpling, is a newly created Kyuramen Group concept that folds traditional Chinese takeout flavors into dumplings. Signature Dumpling Bowls include Spicy Kung Pao Chicken Dumplings and Orange Beef Dumplings, alongside rice bowls, bao, noodles and shareable dishes. The menu engineering is deliberate: familiar takeout flavor profiles in a dumpling format let the concept cross dayparts and appeal to group orders.

The third concept, Aokō Matcha, is a gelato and café brand the group acquired earlier this year. Kyuramen Group said at the time it planned to grow Aokō both as a standalone brand and inside Kyuramen restaurants — making the Financial District opening the first test of embedding it in a multi-brand unit.

First launched in 2025, Aokō lets guests pick their matcha intensity by grade in parfaits or soft-serve gelato. The brand also sells specialty lattes, Japanese tea and matcha-infused desserts, giving the co-branded location a beverage-and-dessert daypart that ramen alone does not capture.

Why co-branding?

Founder and CEO Gary Lin framed the opening as a format experiment. "This is our first opportunity to bring several Kyuramen experiences together in one fast-casual setting," Lin said in a statement. "We wanted to create a space where guests can build the meal they want and enjoy Asian-inspired comfort food at one convenient location."

The group has already shown flexibility with formats beyond the core full-service chain. It operates two locations of Super Kyuramen — in Herndon, Virginia, and Las Vegas — a more immersive Japanese concept with an izakaya-style menu that includes ramen.

The Financial District location is the first to bring the company's brands together in a single fast-casual outlet, and its performance will likely shape how quickly Kyuramen Group rolls out the three-concept model versus growing each brand separately.