MATCHAMON steps up franchise recruitment across Japan, reaching seven outlets at home and abroad in seven months

Matcha Frontier Co., Ltd., based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, announced on 7 October 2026 that it would step up franchise partner recruitment for its Japanese matcha brand, MATCHAMON. The company is seeking locations throughout Japan and welcomes enquiries even before prospective partners have secured premises. It is looking for owners and businesses that share its mission of promoting Japanese matcha culture and will take an active role in managing and running local outlets.

Seven outlets, including temporary locations, roughly seven months after the Kyoto launch

MATCHAMON opened its first outlet, Kyoto Nijo Castle East, on 28 February 2026. It subsequently expanded to Asakusa, Kanazawa, Ginza, Shimokitazawa and the Yaesu area of Tokyo Station, as well as Amsterdam overseas. According to the company’s announcement, the brand reached seven outlets in Japan and abroad in approximately seven months.

That total includes temporary locations. When assessing the brand’s footprint, prospective partners should distinguish between outlet formats rather than assume all seven are permanent shops. The announcement explicitly identifies two outlets as franchises: Kyoto Nijo Castle East, which opened in February 2026, and Shimokitazawa, which opened in September that year. It is important to distinguish the brand’s overall footprint of seven outlets from its record of franchise openings.

The recruitment drive represents an effort to attract new local partners by a brand that already has a franchise operating framework in place. Its development from the first Kyoto opening to the launch of the Shimokitazawa franchise has led to recruitment across Japan.

A focus on local operating partners, not just outlet numbers

The company says its franchise strategy is not solely about increasing outlet numbers. It intends to work with partners who share the brand’s philosophy to develop locally rooted operations. It is seeking owners and businesses willing to take an active role in managing and running their outlets.

Franchisees must also comply with operating standards set by head office, including requirements for matcha quality and serving methods. The recruitment criteria therefore place importance on both local management initiative and consistent quality across the brand.

For businesses entering a franchise network, the questions to consider extend beyond where they can open to what they will be responsible for day to day. MATCHAMON’s recruitment policy explicitly calls for involvement in management and operations, alongside support for its philosophy. Prospective franchisees will find it easier to assess their suitability if they clarify how they intend to participate in the business before making an enquiry.

Fourteen days of training, plus support with location, supplies and management

Franchise partners are offered a 14-day training programme covering the brand’s quality standards, serving methods and store operations. The company says its training and opening support are designed to enable people without food-service experience to run an outlet.

The announcement lists four areas of support:

• Location and catchment-area research, and assistance with business planning
• Introductions to design and construction companies
• Supply of ingredients and materials
• Provision of a store management system and promotional materials

The support covers the process from assessing locations and business plans through to fitting out the outlet, sourcing ingredients and materials for ongoing operations, and providing management and promotional tools. The company describes this as continuous support before and after opening.

However, prospective franchisees should establish the actual division of responsibilities rather than rely on the names of the support services alone. For example, the design and construction support announced consists of introductions to providers, while the location research and business planning offer is described as assistance. A practical priority during discussions is to clarify what head office will handle and what franchisees must decide or arrange themselves.

Similarly, when assessing the training, applicants should look beyond its 14-day duration and establish how they and their staff will learn the quality standards and serving methods. Access for inexperienced operators and the acquisition of the skills needed to run an outlet after opening should be considered together.

Enquiries welcome before securing premises in Japan; overseas contracts still under discussion

The company is considering locations nationwide in Japan, and prospective partners can enquire without having secured premises. This includes both businesses that already have a property and those wishing to begin by assessing potential areas and local markets. Given the support offered with location research and business planning, initial discussions can provide an opportunity to agree opening requirements with head office before committing to premises.

Overseas, the company says it is holding discussions with local partners in several parts of Europe and Asia with a view to franchise agreements. However, the announcement describes ongoing negotiations, not newly signed agreements or confirmed opening plans. The company says it will provide further updates once contracts are finalised. Its existing Amsterdam outlet should therefore be distinguished from its efforts to secure future overseas franchise agreements.

The recruitment announcement sets out both the footprint of a brand that has expanded quickly and its framework for maintaining shared quality standards with local operators. Prospective franchisees should start by clarifying their preferred area and operating arrangements, then examine the content of the 14-day training programme, the scope of head-office support and the assumptions underpinning the business plan. The first step is not simply to focus on growth in outlet numbers, but to establish the conditions needed to sustain a business in their chosen local market.