Maneki Ramen Birmingham
Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
Aim: We're bringing award-winning Maneki Ramen to Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. Pick your rewards - now's the time to get involved!
Since our humble beginnings in 2021, Maneki Ramen has gone on an extraordinary journey. Under the creative hand of Chef Pete Dovaston—who’s honed his skills in Michelin-starred kitchens from Tokyo to New York—Maneki has become a celebrated gem in Worcester.
We’ve been recognised as Best Japanese Restaurant of the Year 2023, built a loyal social media following of over 85,000, and earned the respect of culinary leaders worldwide.
Now, we’re ready to bring the award-winning Maneki Ramen experience to Birmingham—but we can’t do it alone. Your support is crucial to helping us cross the finish line and make this vision a reality. Together, we can bring something truly special to Birmingham—let’s make it happen!
- Pete at work
Pete’s culinary story is a testament to passion, resilience, and artistry. His journey began unexpectedly, covering a kitchen shift at a pub, which ignited a love for cooking that set him on a path to learn from the best. From immersing himself in the traditions of Japanese cuisine in Tokyo to refining his skills in Michelin-starred restaurants across New York and China, Pete’s journey has always been about pushing boundaries.
His experiences inspired Maneki Ramen, where Michelin techniques meet the soul of Japanese street food in a relaxed, modern setting. With ART Hospitality’s Chefpreneur initiative, Pete has turned his vision into a reality, leading Maneki Ramen to its celebrated place in Worcester and beyond.
- Tokyo Ramen
This campaign isn’t just about opening a restaurant—it’s about sharing Maneki’s exceptional experience with a new city. We’ve already secured part of the £350,000 needed to make our Birmingham location a reality, and we’re asking for your help to reach the final £95,000.
Your pledges will directly support bringing this vision to life, helping us create a unique open-kitchen ramen bar complete with chef’s tables, custom lighting, and a bar that channels Tokyo’s backstreets right in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. With each pledge, you’re helping create a space where the artistry of Japanese dining meets the vibrancy of Birmingham’s culinary scene.
- The T-shirt
At Maneki Ramen, every dish is crafted with quality, innovation, and respect for Japanese culinary traditions:
- Food Quality: Known for high standards, Maneki uses fresh, high-quality ingredients, with most items made in-house. This dedication ensures the authenticity and deep flavour that make each bowl memorable. Signature dishes like our Kimchi Chicken Ramen earned us Japanese Restaurant of the Year 2023 and have won over the most discerning palates.
- Crispy Chicken Yaki Soba
- Culinary Methods: Our cooking methods are a fusion of tradition and innovation. With a focus on handcrafted excellence, we make everything from sauces, fermentations, broths, and desserts from scratch. Pete’s Michelin-starred background informs every step, from ingredient selection to plating, pushing the boundaries of Japanese street food with the highest precision and respect.
- Sushi Rice Crackers
- Style & Atmosphere: Maneki offers a stylish, laid-back environment, perfect for those seeking incredible food without the formality of fine dining. Our creative fusion of traditional Japanese flavours with modern techniques creates a distinctive dining experience, while our monthly tasting menus give guests a chance to explore Pete’s most refined and experimental creations.
- Noodles from the Komugi Noodle Company
Your support goes directly into building a restaurant that’ll bring our Japanese-inspired dishes and inventive drinks to Birmingham:
- Kitchen Equipment: High-quality, authentic tools to give you the best in Japanese cuisine.
- Sustainable Interiors: A design crafted with eco-friendly materials, creating an atmosphere that’s as bold as our flavours.
- Exclusive Community Events: Your pledges will also support a series of exclusive events and behind-the-scenes experiences for our backers.
Every pound you contribute builds more than a restaurant—it creates a shared experience you can feel proud of.
- Cookbook illustration
We’ve secured a prime location on Ludgate Hill, right in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. This Victorian red-brick venue will seat 70 guests upstairs, 45 downstairs, and 30 outdoors along the canal. With an open kitchen and a chef’s table that puts you at the heart of the action, this space will bring the theatre of Japanese dining to life in a whole new way. And with a menu featuring Worcester favourites alongside exclusive Birmingham dishes, we’re creating a place for ramen lovers to truly call their own.
- Artist sketch of the new restaurant
- Stretch Goal 1: £185,000 – We’ll add a Horigatsu-style outdoor seating area on Ludgate Hill Road, bringing a touch of Tokyo’s intimate food scene to Birmingham, and extend our downstairs space as a private dining area or expansion of the main restaurant.
- Stretch Goal 2: £225,000 – With this milestone, we’ll bring noodle production in-house with a £40,000 noodle machine, giving our guests the freshest ramen experience possible.
- Miso Custard Caramel Tart
This is a one-time opportunity to be part of something unique. We’re inviting pledges from £30, with the chance to redeem your credit as a voucher for online orders or at either of our restaurants starting 1st April 2025. Your credit will be valid for 18 months, and our additional rewards range from exclusive merchandise to private events, tailored for our loyal supporters and friends.
Together, let’s bring the award-winning Maneki Ramen experience to Birmingham. Every pledge brings us closer to the big opening—and we can’t wait to welcome you.
- Tonkotsu Ramen
"I love your work, Pete, and your connection to your produce at Maneki Ramen.”
— George Calombaris, Master Chef Australia
"Pete’s passion for Japanese cuisine shines through with a unique twist that feels both authentic and fresh. Maneki is everything I admire in the UK’s ramen scene—pure dedication to quality and craft."
— James Chant, Owner of Matsudai Ramen
"Maneki Ramen is a masterclass in flavour and precision. Pete’s dedication to his craft shows in every dish—bold, authentic, and downright delicious. Maneki brings something truly special to the table."
— Jamie May, Executive Chef at Butchers Tap & Grill, Marlow
- If you're choosing a t-shirt, the size you choose cannot be changed.
- Credit balance will expire 18 months from the date that it's delivered.
- Credit rewards will be emailed as a voucher by 24/12/2024 in time for Christmas day, all other rewards will be delivered at varying times depending on the reward.
- Launch event date is dependent on timescales being met in the building phase. While we will communicate details as soon as possible, it could be short notice.
- If you want to purchase a reward as a gift for someone else, please use their name and contact details to avoid any confusion.
- Once the credit is live, there won't be any restrictions on when you can use it during opening hours.
- Credit won't apply to gift vouchers or other promotional activities.