The Moneris Merchant Scoop: Maruhachi Ra-men

The Moneris® Merchant Scoop Series highlights Canadian businesses thriving amidst an ever-changing landscape. Featuring exclusive interviews, learn more about the entrepreneurs behind the scenes, their stories of how they got their businesses off the ground, what it really takes to achieve success, and what the next steps could look like for a resilient future.
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There's something uniquely satisfying about savouring a steaming, bright bowl of ramen on a gloomy, chilly day. It's the perfect meal after a long day of work or even for a  Ramen-tic night. 
If you’re in Vancouver and looking for a slurp  of noodle heaven, we have a great recommendation for you, a place known for serving up hot bowls of ramen across the lower mainland. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the miso ramen or craving something a little more adventurous, Maruhachi Ramen® has you covered with a tantalizing array of flavours and toppings that'll leave your taste buds dancing. 

Fun fact: Maruhachi Ram-en uses a signature creamy chicken broth over traditional pork or beef broth in their dishes.

Maruhachi Ra-men opened its first location in downtown Vancouver in May 2013. Today, co-owner and CEO, Tatsushi “Tats” Koizumi, oversees the operation of all the restaurants in British Columbia.

Their Story

Much like many youngsters who plan to travel the world and fulfil their dreams, Koizumi moved to Canada 19 years ago, straight out of university, and planted his roots in Vancouver in 2004.
He started his journey as a minimum wage employee at one of the Maruhachi Ram-en restaurants and worked his way up. He was eventually approached by the company’s former CEO to take over their position.  Koizumi initially turned down the offer as he had his sights set on opening his own ramen joint. But the former CEO also presented the option of becoming the full-time business owner of Maruhachi Ram-en in Canada. And then there was no looking back.

Since taking over, Koizumi has successfully expanded the business – opening six locations, three in the downtown Vancouver area and two in neighbourhoods just outside of the city in Richmond, Burnaby and  Coquitlam. Back in 2017, he tried something unique--a cashless payment model across all restaurant locations, accepting card-only transactions. 

Why Maruhachi Ra-men chose Moneris as their point-of-sale terminal

Upon moving to a cashless system, Koizumi was in search of a payment processor that could keep up with his busy restaurants’ transaction demands. He started seeking out alternatives and came across Moneris. 

“Moneris is a well-known payment processor in Canada, but I didn’t know about them when I first took over. I heard good things about them by word of mouth and decided to give them a try – it was a great decision,” he said.

“One of the most important things for me is that they [Moneris] are very trustworthy. I feel safe and secure using their system,” he added.

What's next on the menu for Maruhachi Ra-men?

For Koizumi, expanding outside of the province or even south of the border has always been a possibility, but he wants to make sure it happens at the right place and right time. 
“I want to open more locations, but I’m not rushing. And that’s how I commit to the customer: if I follow the money and start a franchising business, I risk my reputation amongst my staff and most importantly, my customer base. So as a commitment to my community, I choose quality,” he said.

To learn more about his journey, read the full story here. 

For information on restaurant payment processing solutions, click here.