New Delhi, Aug. 1 -- At the launch of ramen restaurant Naru's limited-edition sneaker collaboration with Comet in late 2025, founder and chef Kavan Kuttappa wasn't behind the kitchen pass. Instead, he was handing out popcorn flavoured with togarashi butter to people queuing outside the Bengaluru sneaker store for shoes inspired by the city's popular eight-seater ramen restaurant. The sneakers featured a chopstick detail, a take on the all-black team uniforms.

Restaurant merchandise, from branded mugs and T-shirts to tableware and pantry products, isn't new. International coffee chain Starbucks, for example, has been popular for its location mug series for decades. Home-grown brand Blue Tokai started selling brewing equipment within a few...