Ramen lovers were excited to find out earlier this year that New York’s acclaimed ramen shop Ippudo was not opening just one Bay Area location, but two. Now, Eater has learned when to expect the arrival, and it’s imminent.
The Berkeley location will open very early January, with Monday, January 2 as the tentative date. It’s located at the WeWork shared office space at 2011 Shattuck Ave., with Blue Bottle also in the same building.
As for the San Francisco location, look out for a mid-2017 arrival. That space (18 Yerba Buena Ln.) is much bigger than Ippudo’s average store, with 4,700 square feet, which would certainly help ease the crush of ramen-hungry obsessives sure to rush the space upon opening.
The tonkotsu-style ramen and beloved pork buns daily inspire upwards of two hour waits at its two Manhattan locations that originated in Japan with locations now in China, London, Sydney, and more. This rapid expansion is part of Ippudo’s recent partnership with Panda Express with the objective to “develop and expand the brand in the US,” so this location will not be the last. A Los Angeles store was just announced, too.
Stay tuned for more details as opening nears.