UPDATE: Jinya Ramen will officially open to the public at its West Broadway location on August 1, 2024.
Another Jinya Ramen Bar restaurant is headed for Vancouver, as the North American noodle shop chain expands its reach in town with a second location.
Signs are up in the windows of 1518 W Broadway for a massive Jinya Ramen outpost, with a proposed seating capacity of 110 diners.
The space is currently undergoing a significant renovation to accommodate Jinya as it is being transformed from a financial office to a restaurant, which requires an extensive build-out.
Jinya Ramen began in Los Angeles in 2010, positioning itself as a trendy restaurant able to shake the star dish's reputation as being cheap and only available in hole-in-the-wall joints. The brand caught on quickly, thanks to praise from high-profile people in the food community, ultimately setting Jinya up for incredible expansion across the U.S. before it entered the Canadian market in Vancouver in 2017.
Jinya closed many of its Metro Vancouver locations a couple of years ago
Following the success of Jinya's flagship Vancouver location at 541 Robson St, the brand expanded locally to add more outposts. However, in 2020, some former Jinya locations shuttered and became the unaffiliated Zubu Ramen brand.
In November 2022, Jinya Ramen opened a new location in Burnaby at the Amazing Brentwood.
It appears franchisors are keen to grow Jinya's footprint in Vancouver with the addition of the Broadway and Granville restaurant (certainly it will be a draw once the Broadway Subway is complete).
Jinya, which is known for its black garlic tonkatsu and vegan ramen, as well as its side dishes, has a sibling venture headed to Vancouver.
Parent company also adding another concept in Vancouver featuring sushi hand rolls
Saijo Handroll is a new offering from parent company Jinya.
Jinya says Saijo's roots stem from one of its enduring L.A. restaurants, Robata Jinya, which has been serving up Japanese charcoal-grilled skewers alongside sushi bar selections on 3rd Street since 2010. "Kushiyaki" is a term for skewered and grilled foods.
Saijo will set up in Kitsilano at 2036 W 4th Ave, and, like the forthcoming new Jinya Ramen on West Broadway, is also building out a non-restaurant space for its operations.
No opening timeline for the new Jinya Ramen has been set.
