wagamama USA has launched mamago, a proprietary direct-delivery ordering channel available through wagamama.us, giving the pan-Asian casual-dining brand a first-party off-premise vehicle that bypasses third-party aggregators and carries menu exclusives unavailable elsewhere in its U.S. footprint.

The Offer Stack

The platform debuts with three commercial layers designed to drive ticket and frequency. Bao Bun & Beverage Bundles pair four signature bao bun tacos and edamame with a consumer's choice of a six-pack or 12-pack of Sapporo beer, or rosé wine — an alcohol-inclusive bundle format that has gained traction among fast-casual and polished-casual operators seeking to improve off-premise check averages. A dedicated kids' menu — Mini Chicken Ramen, Mini Chicken Katsu, Mini Chicken Cha Han and Mini Chicken Yaki Soba — is available exclusively through mamago for delivery, a daypart and demographic move meant to capture family occasions that historically skew toward dine-in. Catering rounds out the launch, with scalable packages for 10, 20, 30 and 50 guests featuring shareable appetizers, Bang Bang Cauliflower, Korean BBQ Meatballs, Chicken Teriyaki, Chicken Pad Thai and Katsu Curry. The brand says additional catering SKUs are planned for 2027.

Holiday Gifting Play

Alongside mamago, wagamama is rolling out seven new gift card designs — two available in physical and digital formats, five digital-only — timed to the holiday gifting window. The promotional mechanic is straightforward: purchase a $50 gift card online and receive a $10 bonus card; purchase a $100 card and receive a $20 bonus card. Bonus cards are redeemable January 4 through February 12, 2027, a structure that drives Q4 revenue recognition while pulling guests back into units or onto the direct-delivery channel during a typically softer January daypart.

Off-Premise Rationale

For a brand still building U.S. scale from its Tampa, Florida headquarters, owning the delivery transaction matters on multiple levels. First-party ordering preserves guest data and avoids the commission drag — typically 15% to 30% of order value — that third-party marketplace relationships impose on unit-level economics. Stephen Judge, CEO of wagamama U.S., framed the move around consumer expectations: "Today's consumers expect flexibility, convenience and value without compromising on quality or flavor."

The casual-dining segment broadly has accelerated investment in direct digital channels as operators look to protect margins in an environment where food and labor costs remain elevated. wagamama's move aligns with a wider industry pattern — polished-casual brands building owned off-premise infrastructure to supplement in-restaurant traffic — and signals that the brand's U.S. expansion strategy will lean on channel diversification rather than unit count alone. Operators evaluating catering as a revenue stream will note wagamama's tiered group-size model as a scalable template for holiday catering execution in casual dining.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.