Ippudo, also known as Hakata Ippūdō (博多一風堂) in Japan, is a Japanese fancy-ramen restaurant chain with locations worldwide. Ippudo is well known for its tonkotsu ramen, and has been described as "the most famous tonkotsu ramen shop in the country".
History
Ippudo was started in Fukuoka by Shigemi Kawahara,[1] the CEO of Chikaranomoto Company. "Ippudo" in direct translation means "one wind hall". This is because at the time, there were dark clouds over the Kyushu ramen industry, and the founder and CEO intended to "blow wind and revolutionise the era".
The first restaurant opened in 1985,[2] in the Daimyo District of Chuo Ward, in Fukuoka City. Gradually the number of restaurants expanded from regional areas to the whole of Japan, mainly in the Kanto and Kansai regions. In 2000, as a tie-up with 7-Eleven, a cup noodle version was made by Nissin Foods.