A north-east man who has helped lead Japanese restaurant Maki & Ramen to success says he is thrilled to be opening a branch in his home city.
Michael Salvador, a former student of Aberdeen Grammar school, helped launch the first site in Edinburgh in 2015.
Together with his business partner and CEO, Teddy Lee, the chief operating officer (COO) hoped to make high-quality Japanese cuisine accessible to everyone.
Their efforts have paid off, with six locations now across Edinburgh and Glasgow, spots in Leeds and Manchester, and plans for Birmingham and Aberdeen.
The duo is set to bring Maki & Ramen to Union Square shopping centre in early 2025, and Michael shared with The Press and Journal his excitement about opening a branch back home.
He also reflected on how his experiences dining in the Granite City have shaped Maki & Ramen’s journey.
“My love for Japanese food started in Aberdeen,” said the 34-year-old, who grew up on Great Western Road.
“I tried sushi for the first time at the market and from there it grew arms and legs.
“It really set me on the path I’m on now to bring Japanese food to as many people as humanly possible.”
Maki & Ramen founders say they have found ‘perfect’ Aberdeen location
COO Michael is looking ahead to the Union Square opening next year.
He said: “We’re hoping to open either the last week in March or the first week in April.
“We started out in Edinburgh and the reception we’ve had in our other Scottish venues has been great.
“We’re a Scottish brand and after expanding down south to Leeds and Manchester we wanted to get back to our roots.
“I think a lot of companies breakthrough and forget where they’ve come from, but Scotland is in our soul and we want to focus on here.”
Michael thinks that he and Teddy have found the perfect location for an Aberdeen expansion.
Michael said: “I was around in Aberdeen when Union Square first opened and it has remained busy and popular with people in the city and shire.
“To be able to say that you have a restaurant in your home city is really cool.
“It’s nice to be able to give something back to the community in the form of some jobs and quality food.”
Aberdeen man to bring Maki & Ramen home
Michael’s business partner Teddy studied at a sushi academy in Tokyo.
There he learned the art of cooking Japanese cuisine, with a particular focus on ramen.
Alongside the broth-based noodle dishes, the Maki & Ramen menu will include sushi and Japanese style cocktails.
Michael said: “As we are ramen specialists, we have a long process of cooking to make it as authentically Japanese as possible.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of people who aren’t familiar with the food that we do.
“We have competitors around us that are dramatically overpriced for the quality that they produce.
“I think that’s a key differentiator for us.”
Conversation