Operations

Wagamama taps CEO to fuel US growth

July 9, 2025

Wagamama, a London-born Asian-inspired restaurant chain, has appointed Suk Singh as chief development officer to lead the company's U.S. growth and site acquisition strategy.

His hiring follows the recent appointment of Stephen Judge as CEO of Wagamama USA, further strengthening the company's U.S. leadership team. Wagamama, which began in 1992, currently operates seven full-service U.S. restaurants across New York, Boston, Virginia and Florida.

"Suk Singh brings a wealth of experience in real estate development, site acquisition and large-scale rollouts," Judge said in a company press release. "His vision, leadership and industry insight will be instrumental. I'm thrilled to welcome Suk to the team."

Singh's previous roles include executive vice president and chief development officer at Bloomin' Brands Inc. and chief development officer at Darden Restaurants Inc. He also served as vice president of development and franchising for North America at Burger King Corp.

He has also been a trustee on the board of the International Council of Shopping Centers. At Bloomin' Brands and Darden Restaurants, Singh oversaw new concept development and global growth for brands such as Aussie Grills, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse and Red Lobster. He is expected to leverage these skills to accelerate Wagamama USA's expansion.

Wagamama, with over 200 locations worldwide, serves noodle and rice dishes, salads and shareables in a casual setting. The U.S. operations were re-acquired by Wagamama UK in May 2025 after previously operating under a joint venture.