X Kitchen

株式会社X Kitchen (X Kitchen Inc.) is a Tokyo-based food-technology company that develops and operates ghost-restaurant (virtual restaurant) brands for food delivery platforms such as Uber Eats and Demae-can. Its core offering lets existing restaurants add delivery-only brands using their current kitchen equipment and staff, with brand selection guided by delivery-platform data on local demand, nearby outlets and competition. The company states it supports more than 1,000 restaurants and reports 50 brands across roughly 1,000 franchised locations plus five license brands across about 250 locations.

Two main lines are described: franchising of X Kitchen's own ghost-restaurant brands (examples include Waikiki Bowls, とりげん食堂, ねばとろみのり, Greekspoon, fuwa donuts, 雑炊の気分, 豚エース, 白虎麻辣湯), and licensing of third-party brands from national chains, well-known restaurants and high-performing independent operators for distribution across its network (examples include CRISPY CHIKEN n' TOMATO, 肉MAX, cohachi and ゴーゴーカレー). The company also lists food-brand support, a SUGARY brand, and DX consulting including free listing-support consulting for Uber Eats and Demae-can, and states an intention to extend into brands, SaaS and supply chain. Its stated vision is to create new food culture through IT and to build a "new normal" for supporting the food industry, targeting independent restaurants that face high effort and investment costs in adapting to delivery and takeout demand.

Founding story

CEO Kenichiro Yamaji founded 株式会社KAICA while a student at Hosei University, running an organization staffed entirely by university students that reached monthly sales of JPY 2 million. Wanting to work on supporting food producers and makers, he then founded X Kitchen, where he oversees overall management. CTO Masahito Suzuki researched wireless communications in graduate school at Doshisha University and worked on core systems for a major bank as a project manager and equipment procurement lead before joining X Kitchen in August 2024, drawn by DX in the restaurant industry.

Business model

X Kitchen franchises delivery-only restaurant brands to existing food-service operators and licenses partner brands into its delivery network. Franchisees run the brands from their existing kitchens with existing staff and equipment; supervisors visit regions in person to support operators from pre-opening through sales-target attainment. The company also provides consulting on listing and operating on Uber Eats and Demae-can, food brand support, and DX consulting.

The company states royalties are charged as a percentage of sales with zero monthly fixed fees for franchisees of its ghost-restaurant headquarters operation.

Traction

The company reports over 1,000 active restaurant locations (milestone announced November 2024), 50 brands in the franchise business and five license brands across about 250 locations, annual distribution of over JPY 3 billion, delivery of about 1 million meals per year, and around 20 staff across業態開発, supervision, customer success, sales, engineering and design. Partnerships include a franchise agreement with Odakyu Restaurant System (2024), a Gogo Curry license (2024), a Densetsu no Sutadonya license, and a tie-up with GLOBALFLAT for delivery from care facilities with kitchens (2022).

Latest developments

In 2024 the company announced a franchise agreement with Odakyu Restaurant System, passed 1,000 active locations, appointed a CTO, and signed a license agreement for Gogo Curry. In 2025 it was certified as a Premium Partner, described as the top ghost-restaurant headquarters evaluation. A license agreement with Densetsu no Sutadonya was announced in 2026. The company states plans to extend beyond ghost restaurants into brands, SaaS and supply chain services.