Kinka Izakaya Opens on November 8 in the Faubourg

Kinka Family Inc., the Toronto restaurant group behind Guu SakaBar and Kinton Ramen, has set a date for Kinka Izakaya in Downtown Montreal (at 1624 Ste-Catherine Ouest in the Faubourg).

The debut of the hashtag-happy Toronto transplant on November 8 confirms Montreal's current love affair with casual, non-sushi Japanese. In the not so distant past, the likes of Big in Japan, Kazu, Saka-Ba! and Iwashi were fanciful concepts. Now every neighbourhood in the city seems to have karaage and ramen.

James Hyunsoo, CEO of Kinka Family Inc., told Notable.ca months back that "the menu [at Kinka in Montreal] will be similar to that of Guu Izakaya and Guu SakaBar in Toronto."

Hyunsoo and his partners want to extend the Kinka brand, it seems, across Canada. The franchise page of the company's website declares that "until recently, only a handful of Torontonian residents and lucky tourists could enjoy the fantastic taste of our restaurants. With an initial investment, you can own and run our brand restaurants in your location."