Wagamama moving US headquarters to Tampa from NYC

London-born noodle bar Wagamama is moving its U.S. headquarters from the "Big Apple" to the "Big Guava."

The global restaurant chain, known for its modern take on pan-Asian cuisine, announced Wednesday it plans to make the move from New York City to Tampa by Dec. 1, bringing 15 to 20 employees. The company’s new base for U.S. operations will be inside The Towers at Westshore, located in Suite 200 at 1408 N. Westshore Blvd.

“Relocating to Tampa positions us for long-term growth,” Stephen Judge, CEO of Wagamama’s American division, says in a release. “It allows us to continue building a world-class team and strengthen the foundations required for disciplined expansion.”

Since opening its flagship restaurant in 1992, the British restaurant chain has already expanded to more than 22 countries, according to its website. Only seven of those locations are in the U.S., though, with Florida's sole Wagamama location opening its doors on downtown Tampa's Water Street in 2023.

Other Wagamama USA restaurants are located in New York City, Boston and Arlington, Virginia.

Wagamama, which means “self-indulgent” or “willful” in Japanese, models itself after the fast-paced ramen bars of Japan and offers made-to-order noodles, broths, teppan and rice dishes prepared in open kitchens. 

Relocating to Tampa is a strategic move Wagamama executives say will support the restaurant’s ability to “scale with operational agility, invest in talent and further modernize its operating model,” according to the release. The move follows Judge’s appointment as CEO of the restaurant’s U.S. operations and the hiring of Suk Singh as Wagamama USA’s Chief Development Officer, leading site strategy for its American expansion. 

Wagamama is part of The Restaurant Group, owned by Apollo Global Management.