a day ago
Singaporean F&B group Omote aims to serve more fresh takes on Japanese fare
[SINGAPORE] Ten years ago, when the mainstream sushi restaurant scene was dominated by major chains such as Sushi Tei and Sakae Sushi, a casual 12-seater sushi bar opened quietly in Thomson Plaza.
Since then, the Omote sushi brand, an udon bar named Umai, and a salad kiosk called Six Hands have spawned under the Omote Asia Group (OAG) banner.
The group has two new Japanese fusion brand concepts in the works, along with regionalisation in the pipeline.
Yet, the business' founders were initially cautious about investing too much, said Tricia Tan, brand manager of OAG and part of the founding team. Singapore's food and beverage (F&B) scene seemed to be dominated by either 'giants' or 'hawkers', with few successful independent players at the time, she recalled.
In November 2015, Tan and her business partner started out with a restaurant called Sushiro – no relation to the Japanese sushi chain of the same name.
'We wanted to grow slow and steady,' she said. The eatery was run by a team of just three, the two founders included. 'We never started out the business saying: 'We want to achieve 10 stores in 20 years.''
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But within months, things took off. In February 2016, a positive review on dining platform Burpple led to a spike in business. Later that same month, food blogger Daniel Food Diary visited.
'After that… everybody started coming,' she said.
As more and more people flocked to Sushiro, the team struggled to contain the crowd.
'Opposite (the restaurant) was this dumpling shop. The lady (who owned it) made me buy all the dumplings because she said the queue was blocking her shop,' Tan recalled. 'So we bought a hundred dumplings.'
Sushiro took over the unit next door, then moved to a larger one. But queues continued to grow, raising tensions with neighbours and worries that customers would no longer feel that the food was 'worth it'.
So when a bigger space within the mall opened up in 2019, Sushiro moved there and rebranded as Omote.
Derived from both 'omotenashi' – the Japanese concept of wholehearted hospitality – and the trendy Tokyo neighbourhood of Omotesando, the name captured the idea of providing Japanese hospitality in a 'very fun and chic way', said Tan.
Expanding with a difference
In 2022, Omote opened a second branch at Raffles City Shopping Centre and designed its first franchise outlet in Novena.
Each outlet is slightly different, to add value to the brand, said Tan.
The smaller Raffles City branch attracts office workers who do not linger over a meal. It therefore has a Japanese-Korean concept with small bites and convenience foods, such as gimbap and Korean fried chicken.
Meanwhile, the medical hub of Novena tends to have groups, so that outlet offers more dishes meant to be shared.
As Omote's 10th anniversary approached, OAG wanted to do something different. It studied sales trends, realised that udon was a top-performing dish, and opened 50-seater udon bar Umai in 2024.
Umai puts a twist on the salaryman staple with offerings such as miso carbonara and chilli pan mee.
Given its location in newly opened Guoco Midtown, the team did not expect large crowds but was again surprised. Thanks to a viral post from an influencer tasting event, guests waited hours for a table when the restaurant opened.
Staff were leaving work at 11 pm every night and returning at 7 am, Tan recalled. 'The capacity was not built for that sale number.'
Noting the outlet's four-year lease, she added: 'We said: 'We're here for four years. Please come back. But let the hype pass.''
The group is looking for a sustainable business, not short-term gains, she said. Business at Umai has since 'hit an equilibrium' that OAG is happy with.
' We want our group to stay relevant for as long as possible, whether that is in our own hands or in the hands of even more capable people. '
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Tricia Tan, Omote Asia Group brand manager
Later that year, OAG launched its next brand, Six Hands, referring to the three pairs of hands – that of the farmer, the shop staff and the customer – that come together for a bowl of salad.
The idea was for an affordable, easy-to-operate quick-service concept.
Noting that salads are viewed as 'joyless healthy eating' in Asia but are a daily staple in Australia and the US, the team wanted to change perspectives.
Six Hands' salads bring together Australian vegetables and Japanese toppings such as tonkatsu, as well as Japanese dressings.
There are now two outlets at Millenia Walk and Far East Square, and OAG plans to focus on business districts for any additions.
Healthy in many ways
For the financial year ending August, OAG expects about S$9.6 million in revenue, up from S$9.3 million last year. In the next financial year, it expects to cross S$10 million.
This projection includes earnings from the two Omote outlets and franchising fees for the third, as well as contributions from Umai. These brands' net profit margins are 11 to 12 per cent – higher than the industry average – which Tan attributes to their lean operations.
Six Hands' financials are reported separately, as OAG plans to eventually sell the business. It has a profit margin of 18 to 20 per cent.
OAG manages its cost of goods well, with low wastage, Tan said. The team is small and efficient, and rent eats into only 8 or 9 per cent of sales.
'You don't want to be earning money to pay your landlords, at the end of the day. You want to be profitable in order to give people confidence, for your group to expand and to do more,' she added.
Such expansion is on the way, both at home and abroad. By year-end, OAG will launch two new Japanese-inspired concepts and a 'more refined', 'special edition' Omote outlet.
For Six Hands, the focus is on opening more takeaway kiosks – which take less time and capital expenditure to set up – as customers prefer grab-and-go orders.
The existing outlets are at maximum capacity, with 300 bowls produced at the Millenia Walk branch and 200 bowls at Far East Square location every 90 minutes.
As for going beyond Singapore, Omote's recipes are already being used in F&B establishments in Malaysia, and the first Philippines franchise is set to open in September.
Some Filipinos have money to spend, but nowhere to go, Tan said. She believes that Omote can bring its value and quality there without lowering prices or diluting the brand.
Meanwhile, there are opportunities to bring Six Hands to Hong Kong. With a focus on assembling ingredients, the brand is relatively easy to operate and fits the fast-paced market, said Tan.
This may begin with at least one owned outlet, before moving towards a franchising or licensing model.
OAG's end goal is to build Six Hands up enough for it to be acquired or sold.
While the group is in no rush to sell Omote or Umai, the Six Hands format was designed to be consistent, easily replicable and scalable, said Tan.
'Most people want to invest in what makes good, simple business,' she said. 'We want our group to stay relevant for as long as possible, whether that is in our own hands or in the hands of even more capable people.'
