Photo/Illutration An outlet of curry restaurant chain Coco Ichibanya in Nagoya (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

NAGOYA--Curry restaurant chain Coco Ichibanya will open its first outlet in a country that knows a thing or two about the dish: India.

Mamoru Kuzuhara, president of Ichibanya Co., the chain operator based in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, said on Oct. 4 that the restaurant will start operations in summer next year within a shopping center in Delhi.

Because of religious beliefs in India, many people cannot consume pork or beef, which are the most popular ingredients in Japanese curry. So the planned menu will feature primarily plates using vegetables, chicken and mutton.

Under the plan, customers can choose from a variety of toppings, such as cheese and corn, as well as the spiciness level, just like at outlets in Japan.

The restaurant will mainly target wealthy individuals, with per-customer spending estimated at nearly 1,000 yen ($9.33).

Ichibanya said expanding into the Indian market, the homeland of curry, is a “long-cherished wish” of the company. It plans to eventually open additional curry restaurants across India.

“I want local customers to occasionally try our Japanese-style curry plates for something different than Indian curry,” Kuzuhara said.

The company on Oct. 4 said sales for the half-year ending in August rose 3.5 percent year on year to 25.6 billion yen, while net profit was up 20.1 percent to 1.9 billion yen.

Both half-year figures are record highs and reflect the increase in the price of pork curry, the company said.