United & Collective

About United & Collective

United & Collective Co., Ltd. operates as a food service enterprise, managing a portfolio of restaurant brands primarily centered in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The company was established as a limited company in July 2000 by Hideya Sakai, who currently serves as the Representative Director. The inspiration for the company's name and philosophy, which emphasizes a sense of unity and collective effort (United & Collective), stems from Sakai's experience as the captain of his university tennis club. His venture into the restaurant industry was further solidified by a part-time job at a friend's father's izakaya, where he discovered the joy of serving genuinely delicious food that customers appreciated.

The firm's journey began with the opening of its first restaurant, 'Uo/Shunsai to Osake Kokoro', in Takadanobaba, Shinjuku, in September 2000. A significant milestone was the transition to a stock company (kabushiki gaisha) in June 2002. The company has since expanded by launching several distinct restaurant concepts. Key brands include 'Teketeke', a chicken izakaya established in 2005 known for its grilled chicken with a secret garlic soy sauce and Hakata-style Mizutaki hot pot, and 'the 3rd Burger', a gourmet hamburger cafe launched in December 2012 that focuses on fresh ingredients, including 100% beef patties and daily sourced vegetables. The business generates revenue through the direct operation of these dining establishments, serving a broad customer base that includes office workers and the general public. The company achieved a major financial milestone by listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Mothers market in February 2017, which has since been reorganized into the Growth market.

Operationally, United & Collective employs a strategic business model termed 'Preparation Process Management' (PPM). This approach is a hybrid system that optimizes food preparation by deciding which tasks are performed in-store ('In Store Preparation') and which are handled at a central processing facility, the PPM Center, which began operations in September 2021. This model aims to balance high-quality, freshly prepared food with the production efficiency of a central kitchen, a strategy designed to navigate the competitive Japanese restaurant industry, where the company operates among approximately 90 publicly listed food enterprises. The company has also ventured into franchising, opening its first 'Teketeke' franchise in November 2019, and has adapted to market changes by developing delivery-only ghost restaurant brands.