Yosuke Masuko

Self-taught cheesemaker who turned backyard pizza parties into a 40+ restaurant empire across 5 countries

Notable Quotes

“Don't board the ship if you don't know where you're going. If the destination isn't clear, we won't leave the harbor.”
Source: Vietcetera

“If pizza can help me fulfill my personal mission — "Making the world smile for peace" — I'll pour all my energy into it.”
Source: Vietcetera

“I can't emphasize enough how important it is to understand yourself. Dig deep within — who you are, what you're passionate about.”
Source: Vietcetera

Advice

Start from passion, not a business plan

Pizza 4P's was born from backyard parties — genuine love for the craft, not market analysis.

Turn constraints into competitive advantages

No fresh mozzarella available? Learn to make it yourself. That constraint became something no competitor could replicate.

Sustainability is a business strategy, not a cost

Zero-waste restaurants, in-house cheese production, farm-to-table sourcing — reduces costs, creates differentiation, and builds loyalty simultaneously.

Key Highlights

✓From 5 tables ($100K, 2011) → 40+ restaurants across 5 countries
✓Self-taught mozzarella from YouTube — turned constraint into competitive moat
✓Dalat cheese factory: 2,000+ burrata balls/day, wholesale & export
✓After-tax profit 115B VND (2023), 38% growth YoY

Biography

Yosuke Masuko (born in Japan) previously worked at CyberAgent Ventures. In 2008, he moved to Hanoi to set up an investment office. While living in Vietnam, he and his wife Sanae Takasugi began hosting backyard pizza parties every weekend. The parties became so popular that friends urged them to open a restaurant. The biggest challenge: fresh mozzarella was nearly impossible to find in Vietnam. Masuko taught himself cheesemaking from YouTube, testing milk from over 25 sources. In 2011, with $100,000 in savings, the couple opened the first Pizza 4P's on Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1 — just 4-5 small tables. After 14 years: 40+ restaurants across 5 countries, a dedicated cheese factory in Don Duong (Dalat) producing 1,500-2,000 burrata and 2,000-3,000 mozzarella balls daily. In 2023, after-tax profit reached 115 billion VND ($4.6M), up 38% YoY. In 2025, expansion to New York (USA).