Customers cook their own Korean noodles in restaurants, cost halved:Low investment, high margin ‘Self-Service Ramen Bars’ are becoming restaurateurs’ choice

The craze for Korean noodles, i.e., ramen, in India’s food market is transforming into a new business model. In ‘self-service ramen bars’, customers choose their preferred noodle packet, add toppings like eggs, cheese, or chicken along with spices, and cook it themselves at the counter. For restaurant owners struggling with sluggish demand and rising costs, this is becoming a model with low investment, minimal staff, and higher margins. Meanwhile, Korean noodle companies are also finding a new and large market to reach customers directly, beyond supermarkets. According to Vinod Kumar, founder of Chennai’s Myeon Hub, starting a self-service ramen bar costs approximately ₹20 lakh. This is significantly less compared to traditional restaurants with large kitchens, heavy infrastructure, and special chefs. Since it is completely packaged food, there is no risk of food spoilage and work can be managed with fewer staff. Seeing this advantage, Nongshim, one of South Korea’s largest noodle companies, has joined hands with Reliance Retail’s Freshpik in India. Udit Jain, Director of Rama Vision, Nongshim’s official distributor in India, said that these ramen bars are giving customers the opportunity to experience authentic Korean taste and customization at lower prices without going to a full-service restaurant. According to Dhruv Kohli, founder of ‘Boba Bhai’, Gen Z (youth) and working professionals are its biggest customers who are coming back repeatedly. The impact of this growing demand is now visible on startup investments as well. Gurgaon-based Korean food startup Gimi Michi has raised $1 million in seed funding led by IndiaQuotient. The company, which started just six months ago, has crossed net monthly sales of ₹1 crore and is growing at a rate of 60% every month, with half of its sales coming from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Wow on this trend! Sagar Daryani, founder of Wow! Momo, revealed that Korean food has now been included in the menu of the entire Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) sector. Their own packaged Korean noodles are generating ₹1 crore in revenue every month, while their total noodles business is delivering ₹2 crore per month. Market – Heavy demand for Korean noodles in smaller cities, 34% share in total noodles sales According to a Datum Intelligence report, Korean noodles accounted for 34% of total noodles sales on quick-commerce platform Blinkit. Demand in smaller cities was significantly higher compared to Delhi-NCR’s 31%, with Korean noodles comprising 45% in Kochi, 44% in Dehradun, and 41% in Ludhiana. Nongshim and Samyang brands held a quarter share on Blinkit.