South Korean premium kimbap brand brings its 37-store network to Japan, with a local joint venture supporting international expansion.
South Korean premium kimbap brand LEE GIMBAP has entered Japan with its first restaurant in Tokyo, using the launch to establish a platform for further expansion and develop a scalable fast-casual franchise model. The move extends the brand’s international presence beyond South Korea and the United States as it looks to build a broader overseas business.
The first Japanese outlet, LEE GIMBAP Meguro Fudomae, opened recently in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. The launch is being managed by StandardBridge Japan, a joint venture between South Korean franchise development company StandardBridge and Japanese company E-MATE.
Founded in South Korea in 2010, LEE GIMBAP operates 33 restaurants in its home market and three in the United States, giving it a reported network of 36 outlets before its Japanese debut. The Tokyo opening marks another step in its international development, with Japan providing a new market in which to adapt its products and operating model for local consumers.
The brand specialises in premium Korean kimbap, a seaweed-wrapped rice roll traditionally filled with vegetables, meat or other ingredients. LEE GIMBAP differentiates its offering by combining traditional Korean fillings with Western-inspired ingredients, including cheddar cheese and paprika.
Its Tokyo menu includes signature kimbap varieties, side dishes and combination meals designed for different dining occasions. The restaurant offers dine-in, takeaway and delivery, allowing the brand to serve customers beyond conventional sit-down dining.
Franchise development is a key part of the brand’s international strategy. StandardBridge supports franchise system development, brand incubation and overseas market entry. Its Japanese joint venture is intended to help South Korean restaurant brands establish local operations and build business models suited to Japanese consumers.
LEE GIMBAP has also been building its presence in the United States. It established a local corporate presence in Texas in 2024 and opened its first US restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia, in October 2025.
The brand was selected for the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency’s 2025 Service Business Modeling Overseas Expansion Support Programme, which supports companies pursuing international growth. Its overseas development opportunities include restaurant expansion and potential frozen-kimbap exports.
StandardBridge says its broader franchise development track record includes 27 brands that have grown to networks exceeding 100 stores, alongside cumulative franchise development of 8,974 outlets. That experience could support LEE GIMBAP as it develops the systems needed to replicate its concept across markets.
Japan’s launch, however, is an initial market entry rather than a confirmed large-scale rollout. No specific target for Japanese outlets, franchise investment costs or timetable for additional openings has been announced in the available launch information.
The Tokyo flagship will give LEE GIMBAP a starting point to establish its brand locally and assess the potential for further expansion through a structured operating and franchise model.
