Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba's Kerrisdale location to become new concept amid franchise drama
The rumour mill has been circulating ever since Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba ā the soupless ramen chain that operates multiple locations across Metro Vancouver ā took to Instagram to share with patrons that its Kerrisdale location (2285 W 41st Ave., Vancouver) is no longer affiliated with the brand.
Many had taken to the comments of the post, asking for the reasoning behind this as well as the future of this location.
Dished reached out to both Kokoro and the location in question to learn more about what happened, as well as the future of the restaurant.
What happened to Kokoro Kerrisdale
On Feb. 23, Kokoro shared on Instagram that its Kerrisdale location is no longer affiliated with the brand.
“We would like to inform our customers that the Kokoro Kerrisdale location is no longer authorized to operate under the Kokoro brand, effective immediately,” wrote the mazesoba chain. “This location is no longer affiliated with Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba.”
While there was plenty of speculation as to why this location is no longer affiliated with the brand, Kokoro did not provide a reason in its post.
Dished reached out to Kokoro, which said, “Due to ongoing legal and contractual considerations, we are unable to provide further comment or specific details regarding the dissociation at this time. Our priority remains maintaining the high standards of the Kokoro brand across our official locations.”
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Dished also reached out to the location, which currently operates under the Instagram handle @not_kokoro_kerrisdale.
“Currently, I cannot provide a comment on the situation. However, many things are in the works, and I would love to provide some insight on it, hopefully in the coming week or two,” shared the restaurant.
Fast forward to today, and we now know what the future of Kokoro Kerrisdale is.
New restaurant concept to launch soon
The Kerrisdale restaurant was still unable to comment on the details regarding the situation between it and Kokoro, but it was able to share that it will be launching a new Asian comfort food concept called Soft Spot.
“We had been thinking about building something more local and independent for a while, and Soft Spot is the result of that. Over time, we’ve also heard from customers about the kinds of food and experiences they’d love to see more of in Kerrisdale, and this concept is our way of responding to that,” shared the restaurant.
During the daytime, the Penny Penny Coffee brand (which already operated out of Kokoro Kerrisdale before the transition to the new concept) will continue to serve patrons. But for lunch and dinner, patrons will be able to dine at Soft Spot.
“We’ve been listening closely to what our customers want, and Soft Spot is our way of building something that better reflects our neighbourhood. We’re still refining the concept, but the response from the community so far has been really encouraging,” added Soft Spot.
Details on the new restaurant are yet to come, so be sure to check back here for more information soon.
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