It's been exactly 20 years since Jordi Pascual and Jordi Vidal launched an Asian cuisine restaurant in Barcelona's Born district, which they dreamed of turning into a chain. Today, this business idea has 70 establishments spread across Spain – some even on the other side of the Atlantic – and a turnover of 50 million euros. Thus, with more than just its unified brand, Udon now wants to expand its business significantly: opening 15 locations in 2024, with the ambition to double its network in the coming years, and launching new corporate models (from food trucks to point-of-sale sales at airports). And the invasion of the United States.
Pascual's father, who traveled frequently to Japan for work, suggested his son start a Japanese restaurant in Barcelona when the 30-year-old, who graduated in business administration and management, returned to the city after several years working in Belgium. Pascual rejected the idea because he knew nothing about the world of restaurants, until his father put him in touch with the son of a friend, Jordi Vidal, who studied hospitality. Udon was born from a dinner the four of them had together.
“We wanted a structure that could be replicated and extrapolated,” Jordi Pascual, who became the company's CEO, now recalls.
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