Wagamama Japanese inspired noodle bar Wagamama began with one restaurant in London in 1992 and has since grown to 116 outlets in 17 countries around the globe. Wagamama (meaning naughty child in Japanese!) is renowned for offering fresh, fast food in a contemporary and relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant launched its first franchise in the world in Ireland on South King Street in the heart of Dublin city in 1998. Wagamama opened in South Main Street Cork in 2005 and in 2010 the third Irish outlet opened in the prestigious Victoria Square Shopping Centre in Belfast. Blanchardstown Shopping Centre also welcomed the restaurant in 2010 and the following year a fifth restaurant opened in Dundrum Shopping Centre. The Irish have taken the noodle dining experience to their hearts and Wagamama has become a hugely popular casual dining choice for a wide demographic of customers, from students to young professionals and families alike. The ethos of Wagamama is fresh food prepared and cooked daily on-site, a tasty Asian inspired menu, served in a minimalist, positive environment. The restaurant undertakes a significant amount of marketing, advertising and promotional activity throughout the year. To date in 2013, Wagamama has featured in many national and local print, radio and online media outlets, including The Irish Times, the Irish Independent, Irish Examiner, Today FM, RTE 2FM, Cork’s Red FM and in numerous food and lifestyle blogs and websites. Wagamama Ireland is proactive in developing in-store promotional activities to engage with customers across a variety of demographics. Events this year included the inaugural Wagamama Kids Weekender, cooking classes for media and celebrities and the innovative Wagamama Office Takeovers. The team have also developed a number of guerrilla PR campaigns for the chain. Wagamama engages with the student market through on campus activities which include food sampling, society discount offers and sponsorships. The Wagamama online presence is strong, with a full website and many highly engaged social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and VINE.
South King Street, Dublin South Main Street, Cork Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, Dublin Victoria Square Shopping Centre, Belfast Dundrum Shopping Centre, Dublin www.wagamama.ie Facebook / wagamamaireland/wagamamanorthernireland Twitter / @wagamamaireland / @wagamamabelfast
Key staff Christine Chung
Operations Manager
Ray Massey
Finance Manager
Rob Neilan
Development Chef
Duncan MacDonald General Manager South King Street Jon Greaves
General Manager Cork
Elaine O’Neill
General Manager Blanchardstown
Sonia Lipton
General Manager Belfast
Brian Smyth
General Manager Dundrum