Pan-Asian casual chain wagamama USA is rolling out 26 new dishes and 15 Asian-inspired beverages across its U.S. locations, with seafood-forward items — including Thai Chili Shrimp bao bun tacos and fresh Ahi Tuna poke bowls — anchoring several of its new menu categories. The launch, effective immediately at participating restaurants nationwide, represents the brand's most significant menu evolution since entering the American market.
The Seafood Lineup
Shrimp and tuna appear across multiple dayparts in the new program. Thai Chili Shrimp is featured in the all-new Bao Bun Taco category alongside Fire Pork Belly and Short Rib, while fresh Ahi Tuna poke bowls join Thai Chili Shrimp poke bowls in the expanded entrée section — a format that has driven significant seafood volume through fast-casual and quick-service channels in recent years. Salt + Pepper Calamari rounds out the new shareable bites program, tapping the squid category that has gained traction on value-forward appetizer menus.
The moves track with broader foodservice trends: poke bowl concepts have normalized raw tuna and salmon consumption among younger American diners, while shrimp remains the single most consumed seafood in the United States by volume, according to NOAA data. For operators in the pan-Asian segment, layering shrimp across multiple menu formats — here, a bao bun taco and a poke bowl — maximizes supply-chain efficiency around a single protein SKU.
Operator Context
"This new menu is a direct reflection of what our guests told us they wanted," said Stephen Judge, CEO of wagamama USA. "We've expanded opportunities to customize, created exciting new flavor experiences and introduced a new beverage program that's as bold and unexpected as our food."
The menu overhaul accompanies structural changes at the company: new U.S. leadership, a relocated headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and remodeled restaurant interiors with dedicated bar space and flexible private dining. The Tampa flagship has already received the updated build-out, and the brand is extending those design standards to other U.S. units.
For seafood suppliers and distributors serving the fast-casual segment, wagamama's pivot is a tangible signal that pan-Asian operators are deepening their aquatic-protein commitments beyond legacy teriyaki salmon. Tuna and shrimp sourcing at scale — whether wild-caught Gulf shrimp or farm-raised Pacific white shrimp — requires traceability documentation increasingly expected by chain operators responding to both consumer demand and retailer-adjacent supply-chain scrutiny. Calamari sourcing, often IQF squid rings imported from South America or Asia, similarly sits within established foodservice distribution lanes.
What's Next
Wagamama has not disclosed U.S. unit count or annualized seafood procurement volumes. However, with new dishes live at participating locations nationwide and a remodel program underway, the brand's seafood SKU commitments are likely to grow alongside its domestic footprint. Operators and distributors in the aquaculture and wild-caught shrimp supply chain should note that bao-format shrimp applications and poke-style tuna builds are among the faster-growing seafood dayparts in full-service and fast-casual dining — a trend also visible in recent seafood menu data from chain restaurant segments.
The full updated menu is available at wagamama locations nationwide.
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.
