Kouchan Ramen to open in Plano next summer

Local Profile reported on May 19 that Kouchan Ramen, a Japan-based ramen brand produced by Hakata Ikkousha, plans to open its first U.S. restaurant in Plano, Texas, in summer 2026. The restaurant is slated for 4709 W. Parker Rd., Suite 440, in west Plano, according to Local Profile and the company’s U.S. website. (localprofile.com) State construction records reviewed Wednesday show a renovation project at that address with an estimated cost of $500,000 and a listed completion date of Feb. 15, 2026. ### Where exactly is the restaurant going? The Plano location is listed at 4709 W. Parker Rd. #440, near Preston Parker Crossing, according to Kouchan Ramen’s U.S. website and prior Community Impact reporting. (kouchan-ramen.us) The company’s site describes the area as a North Dallas residential and commercial corridor aimed at lunch, dinner and family traffic. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records identify the same address for a project named “KOUCHAN RAMEN.” The filing says the work is a privately funded renovation or alteration in Collin County. ### What kind of ramen is Kouchan bringing to Plano? (localprofile.com) Local Profile said Kouchan Ramen specializes in Hakata tonkotsu ramen, the pork-broth style associated with Fukuoka in southern Japan. The article described the concept as rooted in authentic Hakata-style cooking. Kouchan Ramen’s U.S. site says the brand is produced by Hakata Ikkousha and positions the Plano store as the company’s U.S. debut. (kouchan-ramen.us) The site says the restaurant will bring “authentic Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen” to Plano and Dallas. ### Is this really the company’s first U.S. location? (tdlr.texas.gov) Kouchan Ramen’s website says yes. The company says the Plano restaurant will be the first Kouchan Ramen in the United States and the brand’s third location overall, after openings in Bangkok and Seoul. Local Profile also described the Plano store as the concept’s first U.S. location. A separate April 15 item from Dallas-based Gephyro Consulting, written in Japanese, likewise said the Texas opening would be the brand’s first in the United States. (localprofile.com) ### What does the construction timeline show? (kouchan-ramen.us) Texas records list Sept. 1, 2025 as the project start date and Feb. 15, 2026 as the completion date. The filing puts the renovation cost at $500,000. Community Impact reported in July 2025 that a restaurant representative expected construction to finish in February 2026 and at that time projected an opening in spring. (kouchan-ramen.us) By May 2026, Local Profile and the company website were both pointing to summer 2026 instead. ### What happens next before opening day? Kouchan Ramen’s U.S. site says the Plano restaurant is “coming to Plano in summer 2026” and includes a waitlist for prospective customers. (localprofile.com) The site does not list an exact opening date or a posted menu in the search results reviewed Wednesday. (tdlr.texas.gov) Summer 2026 is the next public milestone now attached to the project. Until the company gives a firm opening day, the clearest public markers are the Plano address, the completed renovation target in state records, and the waitlist on Kouchan Ramen’s U.S. site. (kouchan-ramen.us) (communityimpact.com)