Shares of Ichibanya, operator of the Curry House CoCo Ichibanya chain, reached Tokyo Stock Exchange limit-up on August 31 after reports that parent House Foods Group is considering a sale. House Foods said it is considering all options, including taking Ichibanya private, to enhance corporate and shareholder value, while stressing that no specific decision has been made. The Nikkei reported that multiple investment funds have expressed interest; both companies have selected financial advisers and formal proposals are expected soon. House Foods made Ichibanya a subsidiary in 2015 with an investment of about ¥30 billion and has since collaborated with it on curry-roux and other raw-material procurement. The review reflects efforts to unwind the parent-child listing, improve capital efficiency and redirect investment toward overseas, health-related and other growth businesses. Ichibanya, founded in 1978, had 1,285 locations in Japan and 218 overseas at the end of February 2026. Fiscal-year revenue rose 7.4% to ¥65.5 billion, while net profit fell 19.2% to ¥2.5 billion as higher material and labor costs pressured profitability.