From Vietnam to the world: Pizza 4P’s global journey

What led you to choose Vietnam as the starting point for your journey?

Yosuke Masuko: Our decision to start in Vietnam in 2011 was driven by four key considerations. First was market potential. Vietnam was dynamic, fast-growing, and full of youthful energy compared to Japan. The population was young, curious, and receptive to new ideas.

Second was people and environment. Vietnamese people have shown strong goodwill towards Japan, and I was deeply drawn to the warmth of personal connections. From the very beginning, I felt Vietnam was a place where we could build not just a business, but a community.

Third was capital efficiency. Launching a restaurant in Japan requires substantial upfront investment. In Vietnam, even with limited capital, we could take calculated risks and build a high-quality restaurant rooted in craftsmanship and authenticity.

And finally, there was competition. Japan already had many excellent pizza restaurants. Vietnam, by contrast, presented a opportunity to pioneer a differentiated concept, offering premium pizza and house-made cheese not yet to be widely available.

Yosuke Masuko - CEO and Founder of Pizza 4P’s at Founder Codex 2026

In an increasingly competitive global environment, why have you chosen to expand internationally, and to New York?

Masuko: Our decision is guided by our 2030 vision to become an inspiring global food and beverage brand, spreading happiness from people to the world.

New York represents the ultimate benchmark for any pizza brand. It is widely regarded as the world’s capital of pizza, where the product is not just food, but a cultural identity. We believe that if we can succeed in New York, we can demonstrate to the global market that 4P’s has the substance and originality to stand alongside the very best.

Beyond competition, New York also carries strong symbolic meaning for us. It is a city defined by diversity, creativity, and the tension between intense capitalism and the pursuit of happiness. This complexity resonates deeply with our own philosophy. Our ambition is not simply to sell pizza, but to become the most inspiring brand in terms of happiness.

Choosing New York is therefore a deliberate statement of intent. There is no better place to share our values, our passion, and our vision with the world in a way that is both authentic and globally visible.

How do you maintain quality consistency and premium customer experience at this scale, and as you continue to grow?

Masuko: To be honest, balancing scales with quality is extremely challenging. As the business expands, the risk of dilution in both product quality and service standards increases.

To manage this, we focus on two core pillars. The first is standardisation: we rely on data, clear processes, and strict operational rules across both kitchen operations and customer service to ensure consistency across all markets, from Vietnam to India.

The second is education. We invest in developing and aligning our local management teams; ensuring they fully understand not only how to operate, but why quality matters and what it represents for our brand.

That said, it is never a perfect or finished process. Quality must be monitored, reviewed, and improved on a daily basis. Maintaining what we call "absolute quality" while continuing to scale is the most demanding part of our work, but it is also a commitment we never stop pursuing.

How do you recruit and develop talent that can balance world-class operational discipline with the authentic spirit of 4P’s as the organisation continues to grow?

Sanae Takasugi: This remains an ongoing journey, and we recognise that there is always room for improvement. We place strong emphasis on recruitment and people development grounded in our core values and culture.

As a company, we treasure four core values: omotenashi (selfless hospitality), kaizen (business improvement), authenticity, and compassion. We do not treat the core values as an abstract concept or a slogan, instead, we translate it into specific, observable behaviours.

These values are closely linked to our performance evaluation, promotion, and compensation frameworks. Team members who consistently demonstrate our values and culture are recognised and given opportunities to progress within the company. This helps ensure that, we continue to strengthen the spirit of 4P’s rather than dilute it.

Sanae Takasugi - Deputy CEO and co-founder of Pizza 4P's

What key challenges have you had to overcome along the way, and what advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who want to go global?

Masuko: In retrospect, the most defining challenge has been embedding the spirit of omotenashi across the entire organisation as we scaled. Teaching technical skills is relatively straightforward; nurturing genuine care for guests is far more complex.

As the company grew, ensuring that every new team member truly understood and lived this mindset became increasingly difficult. We had to communicate our values repeatedly and consistently, across cultures and markets. In that process, patience emerged as one of the most critical founder traits, in people development, culture-building, and long-term thinking.

For young entrepreneurs who aspire to go global, my advice is simple but fundamental: do what you genuinely love. Building an international business is extremely demanding. There will be setbacks, uncertainty, and moments when giving up feels easier than continuing. Passion is what sustains you through those moments.

Rather than chasing opportunities purely for financial gain, focusing on your product, your service, and your mission. If you truly believe in what you are building, that conviction will naturally translate into energy, attract the right people, and resonate with customers, regardless of the market you operate in.

Pizza 4P's to receive $10 million investment from Cool Japan Fund Cool Japan Fund (CJF) has made the decision to invest roughly $10 million into 4P's Holdings Pte., Ltd., which runs the chain of Japanese-Italian pizza restaurants 4P's.

Pizza 4P's records soaring profits Pizza 4Ps, which runs the chain of Japanese-Italian pizza restaurants, earned after-tax profits of VND115 billion ($4.6 million) in 2023, up 38 per cent against 2022 and its highest earnings since 2018.

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