[Survey Results] Biggest Concern for Overseas Expansion is 'Securing Reliable Chefs and Cooking Talent' - Importance of Practical Support Revealed
Sharedine Co., Ltd. conducted a survey on the overseas expansion of restaurants, revealing that 'securing reliable chefs' is the primary bottleneck. The company aims to address this through its 'CHEFLINK GLOBAL' service, leveraging its database of 40,000 chefs.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 22:20
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 14:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 14:36 (35 min after Collected)
Sharedine Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Akari Iida), operator of CHEFLINK, conducted a 'Survey on the Overseas Expansion of Restaurants' targeting food service businesses that are currently operating or considering expansion overseas.
### Survey Overview
- **Survey Name:** Survey on the Overseas Expansion of Restaurants
- **Target Audience:** Food service businesses operating or considering expansion overseas
- **Number of Responses:** 328
- **Survey Period:** March 25, 2026 – March 27, 2026
- **Survey Agency:** GMO Research & AI Co., Ltd.
### Survey Results Summary
1. The biggest concern for overseas expansion is 'securing reliable chefs and cooking talent.'
2. The most common intended method for securing talent is 'sending internal staff on overseas assignments.'
3. The most expected support from external partners is the 'introduction of chefs and cooking talent.'
### Biggest Concern: 'Securing Reliable Chefs and Cooking Talent'
The success of overseas expansion heavily depends on securing talent, and specifically, 'securing reliable cooking talent' has become a major bottleneck in the execution phase. When asked about the biggest concern regarding overseas expansion, 'securing reliable chefs and cooking talent' was the top answer at 24.4%.
### Most Common Talent Strategy: 'Internal Assignments'
Regarding the intended method for securing talent, 'sending internal staff overseas' was the most frequent response at 37.8%. There is a strong tendency to place individuals with existing know-how and operational understanding at the core of overseas developments, highlighting a structure that relies more on internal resources than external hiring. As a result, the options for talent supply remain limited.
### Expected External Support: 'Chef Introductions'
When asked about support expected from external partners, 'introduction of chefs and cooking talent' was the top choice at 36.3%. This indicates that for overseas expansion support, businesses seek concrete practical assistance in talent supply rather than just information provision.
### Release of Full White Paper
The company has released a white paper titled 'Survey on the Reality of Overseas Expansion for Food Service Companies,' containing the full details of this survey. The white paper organizes data including target regions, expansion forms, trends by business type, and talent acquisition methods with charts and tables.
### Features and Future of 'CHEFLINK GLOBAL'
In response to these findings, Sharedine provides 'CHEFLINK GLOBAL' to solve talent challenges in overseas expansion. This service specifically supports the acquisition of cooking staff, which was identified as a major hurdle.
Addressing the issues of 'lack of reliable talent' and 'reliance on internal staff' revealed in this survey, the service enables external talent supply by utilizing a database of approximately 40,000 chefs registered with the company. It serves as a career platform seamlessly connecting food service businesses expanding abroad with chefs, supporting recruitment activities while providing chefs with access to global career opportunities.
Sharedine will continue to expand opportunities for Japanese chefs to succeed overseas through 'CHEFLINK GLOBAL' and tackle talent issues in the food industry.
### About Sharedine Co., Ltd.
Founded in May 2017, Sharedine Co., Ltd. operates a global career platform for chefs with 40,000 registered professionals. With the purpose of 'driving social transformation through the world of food,' the company aims for social change through the food industry. In June 2025, it launched 'CHEFLINK GLOBAL' to strengthen overseas recruitment support, promoting global business expansion. The company contributes to the development of the food industry domestically and internationally by building sustainable business models and creating environments where chefs can flexibly build their careers.
### About CHEFLINK
CHEFLINK is a talent and career support platform connecting chefs with food service businesses. Chefs can apply for listed jobs simply by registering their background, and they can also benefit from profile analysis by AI.
### Survey Overview
- **Survey Name:** Survey on the Overseas Expansion of Restaurants
- **Target Audience:** Food service businesses operating or considering expansion overseas
- **Number of Responses:** 328
- **Survey Period:** March 25, 2026 – March 27, 2026
- **Survey Agency:** GMO Research & AI Co., Ltd.
### Survey Results Summary
1. The biggest concern for overseas expansion is 'securing reliable chefs and cooking talent.'
2. The most common intended method for securing talent is 'sending internal staff on overseas assignments.'
3. The most expected support from external partners is the 'introduction of chefs and cooking talent.'
### Biggest Concern: 'Securing Reliable Chefs and Cooking Talent'
The success of overseas expansion heavily depends on securing talent, and specifically, 'securing reliable cooking talent' has become a major bottleneck in the execution phase. When asked about the biggest concern regarding overseas expansion, 'securing reliable chefs and cooking talent' was the top answer at 24.4%.
### Most Common Talent Strategy: 'Internal Assignments'
Regarding the intended method for securing talent, 'sending internal staff overseas' was the most frequent response at 37.8%. There is a strong tendency to place individuals with existing know-how and operational understanding at the core of overseas developments, highlighting a structure that relies more on internal resources than external hiring. As a result, the options for talent supply remain limited.
### Expected External Support: 'Chef Introductions'
When asked about support expected from external partners, 'introduction of chefs and cooking talent' was the top choice at 36.3%. This indicates that for overseas expansion support, businesses seek concrete practical assistance in talent supply rather than just information provision.
### Release of Full White Paper
The company has released a white paper titled 'Survey on the Reality of Overseas Expansion for Food Service Companies,' containing the full details of this survey. The white paper organizes data including target regions, expansion forms, trends by business type, and talent acquisition methods with charts and tables.
### Features and Future of 'CHEFLINK GLOBAL'
In response to these findings, Sharedine provides 'CHEFLINK GLOBAL' to solve talent challenges in overseas expansion. This service specifically supports the acquisition of cooking staff, which was identified as a major hurdle.
Addressing the issues of 'lack of reliable talent' and 'reliance on internal staff' revealed in this survey, the service enables external talent supply by utilizing a database of approximately 40,000 chefs registered with the company. It serves as a career platform seamlessly connecting food service businesses expanding abroad with chefs, supporting recruitment activities while providing chefs with access to global career opportunities.
Sharedine will continue to expand opportunities for Japanese chefs to succeed overseas through 'CHEFLINK GLOBAL' and tackle talent issues in the food industry.
### About Sharedine Co., Ltd.
Founded in May 2017, Sharedine Co., Ltd. operates a global career platform for chefs with 40,000 registered professionals. With the purpose of 'driving social transformation through the world of food,' the company aims for social change through the food industry. In June 2025, it launched 'CHEFLINK GLOBAL' to strengthen overseas recruitment support, promoting global business expansion. The company contributes to the development of the food industry domestically and internationally by building sustainable business models and creating environments where chefs can flexibly build their careers.
### About CHEFLINK
CHEFLINK is a talent and career support platform connecting chefs with food service businesses. Chefs can apply for listed jobs simply by registering their background, and they can also benefit from profile analysis by AI.