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    Japanese restaurant chain Shirokiya celebrated the opening of its first outlet in Hong Kong - Shirokiya Kwun Tong APM. Located in one of the trendiest shopping locations in Hong Kong, the new restaurant will provide about 200 seats in its 4,800 sq ft premises.  

    Viewing Hong Kong as a platform to expand its catering business in the Mainland and other Asian markets, Shirokiya Hong Kong Limited also plans to open at least 20 outlets in Hong Kong in the next few years.  

    The General Manager of Shirokiya Hong Kong Limited, Mr Takuya Tomiyama, said, "Following our success in introducing Wara Wara into Hong Kong last year, we are very pleased and excited to bring in another popular casual restaurant brand ? Shirokiya. Recognising the strategic importance of Hong Kong as a showcase for other Asian markets, our group will launch other restaurant brands here."

    "We are committed to serve our customers by offering a top quality Japanese dining experience ? both in Japan and around the world. In our view, food also represents the essence of different cultures. We would also like our customers in Hong Kong to develop greater understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture through the dining experience at our restaurants. To ensure and maintain the standard of food and service we offer in Hong Kong, our chefs from Japan will provide training, including their skills in different specialty dishes, at each of our restaurants."  

    The first Shirokiya restaurant was opened in Nakano, Tokyo on 1 June 1983.  The group now owns 1,256 restaurants, and has become one of the most popular Japanese restaurant chains. The group has 22 restaurant brands which cater to a variety of tastes in Japanese food.

    At a courtesy visit to the Shirokiya restaurant at Kung Tong APM, the Acting Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Mr John Rutherford, congratulated Shirokiya on its arrival in Hong Kong.

    He said, "We are particularly delighted to celebrate the second restaurant chain set up by Monteroza in Hong Kong. On-going investment here by food and catering groups like Monteroza has clearly demonstrated the confidence of overseas investors in the consumer market of our city. Invest Hong Kong will continue to work closely with the group in bringing more of their restaurant brands here."

    Invest Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government department charged with encouraging and facilitating inward investment into the city by providing all the support needed to establish a business presence here. For more information, please visit the website at www.investhk.gov.hk.

Ends/Monday, June 27, 2005
Issued at HKT 15:31

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