Breaking News: Torikizoku Is Set to Open in BGC
On October 12, 2026, Torikizoku—the Japanese izakaya chain famous for charging one uniform price across its menu—is scheduled to open its first Philippine branch at Serendra in BGC. Its mascot, Torikki, has apparently already been appearing around BGC in a promotional campaign using QR codes to direct people to the official site. With taglines such as “Good Times, This Way” and “From Group Chat to Group Table,” the campaign seems tailor-made for a BGC weekend crowd.
The franchise partner is JTC Group, a Davao-based business that has grown through its Jollibee franchise operations. Seeing that operational experience paired with Torikizoku’s skewers is an interesting combination.
How Has Torikizoku’s Famous Flat Price Changed Over 40 Years?
Torikizoku built its reputation on a uniform menu price, but that number has actually changed quite a bit:
- 1986: ¥250
- 1989: ¥288
- 2017: ¥322 (its first increase in 28 years, which drew attention at the time)
- 2022: ¥350
- 2023: ¥360
- 2024: ¥370
- 2025: ¥390
- 2026: ¥410
That is an increase of ¥160 over 40 years. Is this an admirable example of keeping prices down, or unwelcome news for after-work diners? You can decide.
Does Going Overseas Come With a “Torikizoku Premium”?
Torikizoku has already expanded into Taiwan and Hong Kong. The prices at its first branches there offer an interesting comparison:
- Taiwan (first branch, September 2024): A flat NT$100, approximately ¥440 at the exchange rate used at the time. That was around 1.2 times Japan’s then-uniform price of ¥370.
- Hong Kong (first branch, December 2024): HK$29.9, approximately ¥600 at the time, or around 1.6 times Japan’s ¥370 price.
In those two markets, going overseas appears to have pushed the price per order to approximately 1.2–1.6 times the Japanese benchmark. Given local rent, staffing and import costs, this is understandable. But anyone arriving with a “it should only be about ¥370” mindset could still be in for a surprise.
So, Here Is My Entirely Unofficial BGC Price Calculation
First, a clear disclaimer: what follows is simply my own back-of-the-envelope calculation, not an official announced price.
If we apply the Taiwan/Hong Kong price multipliers of 1.2–1.6 to the 2026 Japanese uniform price of ¥410, the result is:
¥410 × 1.2–1.6 = approximately ¥492–¥656 ≈ ₱195–₱260 per order.
At ₱200–₱260, that is enough to buy another one or two San Miguels at a BGC bar. Order five items and you are already looking at ₱1,000–₱1,300. Suddenly, “just a quick drink tonight” starts to look like a proper night-out budget. Given the BGC location and the emphasis on the “Group Table” concept, a relatively premium price would not be all that surprising.
Final Thoughts
Official menu prices had not been announced at the time of writing, so please treat these numbers as a little thought experiment based on Torikizoku’s overseas track record. The opening is scheduled for October 12 at Serendra, BGC. See the following article for more information about the announcement: