“Eating House for the Soul”: How wagamama Became Britain’s Comfort Spot
‘Kaizen’, a Japanese philosophy dedicated to creating continuous improvement based on small, ongoing positive changes, is a compound of two words - ‘change’ or ‘revision’ and ‘virtue’ or ‘goodness’. Kaizen holds within itself the belief that perseverance and consistency are key to perpetual betterment and the philosophy is applied to a myriad of businesses, from psychotherapy to banking.
Ever since wagamama opened its doors in 1992, kaizen has served as the pan-Asian restaurant chain’s North Star. Whether it is in the way they serve their guests, the new menus they regularly create or through their packaging and uniforms, the continuous innovation and improvement tracks with the philosophy on every level.
Starting off as one spot in London’s Bloomsbury in the ‘90s and subsequently growing to 160 restaurants in the UK and abroad, wagamama is proud of the place it holds in Britain’s food culture, and rightly so. “For a lot of people, we are a comfort spot,” says Kay Bartlett, chief marketing officer for the brand. “[It’s] somewhere people go because they know that they’re going to get a warm welcome in a familiar environment, whether they’re ordering their longtime favourite dishes, or branching out to try something new.”
This sort of setup was unique to wagamama in ‘90s London, when the restaurant scene was not yet the major food destination it came to be in the following thirty years. In fact, the ‘90s was a decade of change, when plenty of cult-favourite names in the hospitality industry made their way into the city and still hold a special place in people’s hearts.
What was specific to wagamama then remains today - the communal benches, the writing on the placemats, the food arriving as soon as it’s ready. “It’s a fresh and energetic way of eating that connects and resonates with people,” explains Kay. “Ever since 1992, we have stood out in the UK’s food landscape. Every day we focus on what we do best - bringing modern Asian soul food to our communal benches. We are faithful students of Asian food and eating culture.” Ever since the spot in Bloomsbury, the brand has been committed to their love of the fast-paced Japanese ramen bars.
“But, through embracing our philosophy of Kaizen, we won’t sit still,” Kay reminds me. So, while the culture of the restaurants and the spaces they occupy remained stable for the last three decades, they have been on a continual journey of growth and innovation ever since, with a particular focus on creating more sustainable practices and finding fresh flavours.
“Inclusivity is also a huge factor for us, and we want to be a safe and welcoming space for anyone who walks through our doors to enjoy a soul-warming bowl,” explains Kay. “We’re committed to continuing this growth, to offer a uniquely vibrant and communal place for people to eat and share a moment with those they love.”
So, for the restaurant chain, it’s not just what you eat - it’s how you eat it and who you eat it with. “This comes through in the colour and vibrancy of our dishes, as well as the architecture of our spaces. Intentionally designed with Japanese minimalism in mind, so guests can focus on the sensorial effects of the umami food they’re eating, or the conversation they are having. Our benches invite guests to sit shoulder to shoulder with strangers or friends, to experience a rare moment of calm and connection in a bustling, always-on world.”
This spirit was evident in the brand’s ‘Kintsugi Benches’ campaign during the second wave of covid, when - while people weren’t yet allowed to visit restaurants - the UK government’s roadmap reached the point that allows two people to meet, socially distanced, on a bench.
So, wagamama brought their iconic benches outside. The brand installed the benches in three key university cities - Brighton, Bristol and Manchester - and offered free cups of green tea to encourage passers-by to sit and have a conversation during a time when spontaneous conversation almost ceased to exist.
What was most special about the benches was that they were repaired through kintsugi - the art of Japanese repair, most notably applied to pottery, using gold to emphasise where the piece was broken and ultimately highlighting the beauty of its history.
Once diners and restaurants swung their doors open again, wagamama quickly and firmly resumed its place as the comfort spot for many Brits for virtually any occasion - it never stopped being an “eating house for the soul”, as Kay describes it. And, as kaizen would suggest, the menu continued evolving to fit emerging food trends as well as many dietary requirements. “We want people to come to wagamama knowing they’ll be able to order something that ignites their senses and nourishes their soul, no matter your allergies, dietary requirements, or ability.”
‘Vegamama’, the angry monster trashing your city, shared this sentiment - it not only became one of the most iconic pieces of advertising for the brand, but while accommodating vegetarian and vegan guests, it acknowledged wagamama’s commitment to protecting the planet. The brief at the time was short and sweet - “We were doing our own take on kaiju - vegetarian and mad at humans for destroying his planet,” RiffRaff’s Verdan Rupic, director of the campaign, told LBB. This is how Vegamama came to life and communicated the brand’s dedication to a varied menu, that doesn’t trade flavour for protecting the environment. Not only this, but it utilised a production approach not often used in the food category, creating an anti-mascot in the best way. Once again, wagamama was breaking boundaries and reaffirming its positioning in front of its consumers.
Recently, wagamama’s brand persona was refreshed, Kay tells me. “We took time to audit how we were showing up across the UK, so that we can plan our operations and behaviours for the next thirty years.”
She continues: “It won’t come as a huge surprise that looking back on our archives and beginning principles formed a significant part of this work. An obsession with freshness, a commitment to bringing people together over Asian flavour, and taking little steps every day for positive change were values from the beginning that still inform our current positioning every day. From our voice to our visual identity, we have stripped things back to only the essentials.”
This is why, today, wagamama communicates its essence across every touchpoint through striking black and white lifestyle imagery, contrasted with vibrantly coloured food imagery. “A humble and warm tone of voice. Clean lines inspired by Japanese minimalism, which have also dictated the physical spaces of our restaurants for the past three decades.” And while the brand has dialled things back, it has maintained its soul through emotive content, which strikes a ‘sophisticated chord’ with viewers. The latest ‘Dive In’ campaign, launched in October, showcases exactly this, for the first time.
Set to a soulful cover of ‘Feeling Good’ by Greentea Peng, the brand’s first television creative since 2021 celebrates the rejuvenation and invigoration of open water swimming, paralleling it with the soul-warming and renewing feeling of digging into a wagamama bowl. “We have always held the belief that nourishing food is the key to living well, and we are excited to be celebrating it through the campaign creative,” says Kay.
“We created a visually stunning TVC, shooting swimmers taking dips, dives and paddles, and finding peace from floating in a body of water. Then, we showed them that feeling the same sense of calm when tucking into a steaming bowl of ramen or one of our new korean-inspired hot pots. We have also been proud to partner with the UK-based organisation, Mental Health Swims, supporting their mission to provide a safe, free and inclusive space for people of all abilities to enjoy the benefits of open-air swimming.”
Focusing the creative beyond the food and into the feeling the food inspires is something wagamama has done before - in its ‘Bowl to Soul’ campaign, the brand collaborated with MullenLowe and Passion Animation Studios to create a fully illustrated anime-style film (made up of both hand-drawn and computer-illustrated work). In the film we see the main character take her first spoonful of a nourishing wagamama bowl and immediately dip into a world of flavour, warmth and comfort, surrounded by colour and ambiance.
“The art of eating shouldn’t just nourish your body, but your soul too,” says Kay. “‘From Bowl to Soul’ articulates this beautifully, and has stood the test of time. Which is why it punctures all brand communications. To us, it means celebrating that mind and body connection, and eating nourishing food that leaves you feeling energised and more prepared to take on the rest of the day, week, or even year.”
So, whether it’s the warming slurp of a steaming bowl of ramen, the satisfying zing of a fragrant raisukaree or the energising spices in the new gochujang rice bowls, “[wagamama] creates bowls that hit your soul with a bang.” ‘Dive In’, is of course a further extension of this thought.
“We want to celebrate the restorative nature of our food, by drawing parallels between that first slurp, sip, or bite feeling and the refreshment that is found through open water swimming. Showing people taking a moment for themselves, whether that’s sitting at our benches or out taking a dip at their local beach, pool or pond. We show the power of slowing down. Having a moment just for yourself. That’s what ‘From Bowl to Soul’ is really all about - taking a moment to nourish your body and your soul with fresh, tasty food.”
The culprit behind wagamama’s success in introducing pan-Asian flavours to the British public back in the ‘90s, and still today, is the diverse approach to both cooking and branding. Through playfulness and experimentation, the restaurant chain has created numerous menus with something for everyone, and that’s reflected in the creative - from incredible animated films, to communication on socials with the hilarious ‘Katsumama’ for National Katsu Curry Day - there is something for everyone.
“Whether it’s our innovative new plant-based bowls or our much-loved katsu curry, our menu has something for all needs, tastes and preferences, and we believe that it is this that has made us a go-to for Asian cuisine in the UK,” explains Kay.
So, what does wagamama want us to think when we think of its restaurants? “A warm, welcoming, inclusive place to eat,” says Kay. “Both casual and cosy, where you know the setup and love it. We want guests to arrive knowing they’re going to have a delicious meal, whether they’ve come back for the classics or to order the brand-new bowls we’ve just released.”
When customers hear ‘wagamama’, Kay wants them to envision fresh flavours - those that remind you of a cool dip in the sea, or even floating through a magical animated forest. And, of course, those flavours that won’t make the planet angry at you. What the brand aims to capture in its communications and positioning is exactly this - “The sense of comfort, community, nourishment that our food, teams and spaces can provide our guests.”
