Wagamama Ramen Chain Already Planning Second NYC Location

Wagamama — the popular London-based ramen chain — will be opening a second NYC location in the East Village, Commercial Observer reports. The Japanese food-inspired restaurant has not yet opened its first planned New York location, which will be in a massive three-story space overlooking Madison Square Park, but the company has already signed a 15-year lease for more than 5,000-square-feet of space at 55 Third Avenue, near East 11th St., according to the Observer. The locations will be two of more than 150 globally.

The restaurant, opened in 1992 by chef Alan Yau and sold in 2011 for $350 million, serves a menu of dishes like ramens, curries, teppenyaki. Although the CEO has talked of opening 650 locations in the U.S., they have only debuted four, all in the Boston area. Last month, one of those locations closed. The company also planned to open D.C., but it eventually ditched the plans after three years of delays.