Watami to Launch Pubs in Singapore

Tokyo, July 17 (Jiji Press)--Watami Co. <7522> said Thursday that
it will launch "izakaya" Japanese-style pubs in Singapore through a local
subsidiary, with the first outlet to be opened Tuesday.
The second outlet will be launched on Sept. 15, the Japanese
restaurant chain operator said.
Watami hopes to launch a total of 10 pubs in the Southeast Asian
country by December 2013, mainly targeting people in their 20s and 30s. The
company aims to generate annual sales of 2 billion yen from the pub
operations in Singapore.
Watami currently operates 32 pubs in overseas markets, including
Guam and Hong Kong.
The firm also plans to open its pubs in Thailand, Malaysia and
Australia.
END