Ichiran Ramen (一蘭) is a Japanese ramen food-service business specializing in tonkotsu ramen. The chain restaurant began in Fukuoka[1] in 1960 as a ramen stall named "Futaba Ramen" (屋台双葉ラーメン). It was later renamed "Ichiran"（一蘭 "one orchid"）in 1966. After three decades of serving ramen from a single location, under the leadership of CEO Manabu Yoshitomi it opened its first concept store in 1993, which became the blueprint for all future Ichiran ramen shop locations.
Concept
Ichiran ramen is distinctively unique amidst most other ramen restaurants for offering a so-called "solo dining" experience. Customers who dine at Ichiran are seated in a solo booth and, once ready, the ramen is served from behind a curtain and the curtain is closed to allow the diner to focus on the ramen itself. Arrangements are made so that customers can order refills or extras without having to speak to a waiter, by filling in their extra order on a paper form and pressing a button, and each booth is equipped with its own tap for self-service water. Customers who dine in group can be seated side by side, however the layout of the booths makes it close to a solo experience regardless.
Ichiran also distinguishes itself by letting the customers customise the ramen to their liking via a paper form. Although tonkotsu (pork bone) broth is used as the base for all ramen, customers are asked to customise their ramen by filling in a form prior to being seated. The form asks for the customer's preference for various criteria: intensity of the broth, richness (the amount of fat), amount of garlic, the presence of green and/or white