Aji Ichiban
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Snack food franchise |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Lai Chan Yuk Hing, Lai Hin Tai |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , Hong Kong |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Snack foods including beef jerky, dried apricots, chocolates, spicy dried fish, plum tablets, chili olives, fried shredded squid, shrimp crackers, gummies, wasabi peas |
Aji Ichiban (), established in 1993 by president Lai Chan Yuk Hing alongside managing director Lai Hin Tai, ranked among the largest snack food franchises in Hong Kong. Although its name includes the Japanese hiragana no (の), the company itself was not Japanese. The brand successfully grew to encompass more than 90 locations worldwide across diverse markets.
Product
Aji Ichiban provided an extensive selection of snacks that blended flavors from East Asia, Japan, and the United States. Their offerings included items such as beef jerky, dried apricots, Skittles, chocolates, spicy dried fish, plum tablets, chili olives, fried shredded squid, shrimp crackers, gummies shaped like hot dogs and hamburgers, and wasabi peas. Numerous products incorporated elements inspired by traditional Eastern medicinal practices. Customers could sample various items from bowls available in stores prior to purchase. Snacks were sold by weight, with patrons filling bags from multiple stations and paying according to the combined weight.
Canada
In Canada, Aji Ichiban operated a store located within Parker Place, an Asian shopping mall in Richmond, a suburb of Metro Vancouver, British Columbia. This location has since ceased operations.
Philippines
Within the Philippines, Aji Ichiban maintained several retail outlets primarily situated in shopping malls.
- Power Plant Mall - Currently Open
- Glorietta 4 - Closed
- SM Megamall Building A - Closed
- Robinsons Place Manila - Closed
- SM City Sta. Mesa - Closed
- SM Mall of Asia - Closed
- Robinsons Galleria - Closed
- Robinsons Magnolia - Currently Open
- Greenhills Shopping Center - Closed
United States
Initiated as an exclusive franchise in 2000, Aji Ichiban USA established numerous outlets nationwide. These stores attracted visits from several Chinese political figures. By 2013, the majority had closed; as of 2023, only the locations in Chicago’s Chinatown and Monterey Park in Los Angeles remain operational.
- San Jose/Cupertino - Closed
- Los Angeles
- Monterey Park - Open
- San Gabriel - Closed
- San Francisco
- Chinatown - Closed
- Chicago - Open
- Honolulu - Closed
- Rockville - Closed
- Boston - Closed
- Multiple sites including Broadway, Centre Street, Lafayette Street, Mott Street, Hester Street, and Flushing (Queens) - All closed
- Philadelphia - Closed
- Richardson - Closed