A new dining experience has opened in Pinellas Park, offering customers a Japanese-American quick-service restaurant with a drive-thru.
Ninja Ramen held a soft opening about two weeks ago in a former Subway location, offering a limited 15-item menu featuring some of the most popular Asian dishes.
The menu includes a variety of ramen offerings, chicken curry, rice bowls and wraps, with more specials planned for the future.
“Ramen is becoming very popular, so I think this is a very unique concept and catering to a demand,” said owner David Chen.
Having a drive-thru was important to the concept because Chen said he felt there were few quick-service Japanese restaurants offering the option.
The average check is around $16, with special discounts planned for the future to help with affordability.
“There is a tipping culture here and being a quick service, people don’t have to tip if they don’t want to,” Chen said. “We offer Uber Eats, DoorDash, drive-thru and a dining room to serve people with different needs.”
Since launching, Chen said the chicken teriyaki and roasted pork have been the most popular items.
Some signature bowls include the Braised Pork Rice, Curry Chicken Rice, Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken over Rice and Gyudon Beef Bowl.
Noodle and ramen options include Seafood Oden Ramen, Braised Beef Tomato Ramen and Gluten-Free Soba.
Ninja Ramen also offers a variety of boba tea options, including Red Bean, Black Tiger and Matcha.
“We will save you a fortune flying to Asia to experience local cuisine. We bring Asia to you. Every single item is super popular in Asia,” Chen said.
While most ingredients are sourced from Sysco and US Foods, Chen said the restaurant’s sauces are currently imported from different areas of Asia.
Ninja Ramen is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The site sits on the boundary between Pinellas Park and Largo, so the restaurant is listed under both city names. It is the first location, with plans to expand to Bradenton, Sarasota, Orlando and Fort Myers.
