Popular Japanese restaurant Sapporo Ramen EZO is searching for a new location in the Northern Harbour region, as it reaches the end of its lease for its Paceville outlet.
On Friday, the restaurant’s management announced that it may be forced to temporarily close its doors as the lease of its current location will expire at the end of September, and it is yet to find a suitable property.
Following this, WhosWho.mt reached out to Sapporo Ramen EZO for the reasons behind the move and what type of property is required.
Shion Kawana, Manager at the restaurant, said that the current property in Paceville is showing “significant signs of ageing,” including through its plumbing, electrical systems, and interior.
“Of course, I have many memories in this place, so leaving it is very sad. However, I felt that even if we were to extend the lease on this property, it would only last a few more years,” she continued.
Currently, the eatery, touted as Malta’s first traditional ramen restaurant, is located on Ball Stret in St Julian’s, right in the heart of Paceville. It is the same location where the Tokyo Fried House used to be.
Ms Kawana said that management has come to this decision as it aims to provide greater safety and comfort, while also creating an environment that will better satisfy customers.
When asked for further details about what type of property management is looking for, Ms Kawana explained that it is searching for a class 4D property in the Northern Harbour area, specifically in Gżira, Sliema or St Julian’s.
The size of the property would ideally range from 80 square metres to 120 square metres.
“We need to move into the new property as soon as possible and start construction in 2024,” she continued. While management stated that its budget would be around €80 per day excluding utilities, Ms Kawana added that if the property owner can provide free rent while the location is finished and prepared for opening “it would be much better.”
In another social media post, Sapporo Ramen EZO said that since the initial announcement of the temporary closure, it has received a significant amount of positive feedback, for which staff is very grateful.
However, it also notified customers that it tends to be very busy after 8pm on weekends, and thus it can take some time for patrons to be guided to their seats. It advised customers to adjust their visit accordingly, particularly since lunch hours and weekday dinner hours are relatively less crowded.
In the post, it also said that the restaurant does not accept reservations from customers “for any reason.”
When asked about this decision to not accept reservations, Ms Kawana said that this is a practice that is traditionally taken up by most ramen restaurants in Japan.
“I believe ramen restaurants in Japan are closer to fast food. It is well established throughout Japan that customers visit ramen shops casually, quickly eat their ramen, and then leave. We aim to establish the same style here in Malta,” she remarked.
She explained that if customers find the ramen restaurant full and therefore need to wait in line outside, “that is part of the ramen culture in Japan.”
“We want everyone to experience this authentic atmosphere,” she stated.
Over the years, the restaurant’s staff members have been strong advocates for Japanese culture, also participating in anime promotions and cosplaying in different events. The restaurant also sells different figurines and merch from popular anime shows.
