Sushi franchises are a proven way to start developing your own active and growing business under a well-known brand. Using a developed and proven sushi business model, even an inexperienced entrepreneur has an excellent opportunity to easily enter the restaurant business and earn good money. Today, after reading this article, you will learn about the secrets of franchising, the most profitable sushi franchises, whether it is worth starting your own business with the support of a mentor and what price you will have to pay for it.
About sushi
The Japanese national dish of rice, seafood and vinegar seasoning gained wide popularity in Russia back in the 80s. At that time, the first Japanese restaurant appeared in the capital, but did not last long.
The real sushi boom came to our country a little later, in the early 90s.
Today it is difficult to imagine that someone does not know what sushi is. Most gourmets who prefer gourmet dishes love the delicate taste of oriental dishes. In addition, in the rhythm of modern life there is not always enough time to prepare food on your own. And sushi is a great option for a quick snack. In addition, they cannot get boring, because there are a large number of recipes for preparing oriental dishes.
With great demand, the production, sale and delivery of sushi is a promising idea for a business project. In this case, you can choose one of several establishment options:
- sushi shop;
- bar;
- cafe;
- restaurant.
The businessman decides which franchise format to choose, having previously decided on potential clients, their level of solvency and the place where the sushi will be sold.
Franchising or starting on your own?
Having made a firm decision to open a Japanese restaurant, you will need to draw up a business plan, select premises for rent, hire conscientious and reliable staff, decide on the menu and format of the establishment, and organize an advertising campaign.
You can do all this yourself, after which all that remains is to wait for future clients, earn a reputation and promote your brand.
But today an entrepreneur has a choice: to implement the idea of a sushi business himself, side by side with well-promoted networks, or to become part of one and the same network. Then, having skipped the initial phase of preparation and gaining “bumps” in an unknown field, you can immediately get involved in work and make a profit.
Franchise offers coming from well-known brands offer the future franchisee (purchaser of a sushi franchise):
- a ready-made business plan with a pre-compiled sales plan, from which you can find out the amount of projected income;
- full business support, from recommendations on the selection of premises to exclusive recipes;
- using a well-known brand in your work guarantees a positive attitude from future buyers, which in fact is the provision of a ready-made base of regular customers;
- With the franchise, raw material supply schemes are transferred at competitive prices;
- organizers help train and select staff, having previously drawn up work standards.
At first glance, a rosy picture appears in the entrepreneur’s mind that by enlisting the help of a professional, money will “flow like a river.” In fact, even under a well-known and successful name you will have to work hard, and here a lot will depend on the team that will work under the leadership of the franchisee.
Against the backdrop of the undoubted advantages of a sushi franchise, it is necessary to foresee in advance the negative aspects of such a cooperation model:
- you need to pay for the brand and support: a lump sum fee - an initial lump sum payment, royalties - monthly deductions, measured as a percentage of profit or a fixed amount is determined;
- the entrepreneur must strictly comply with the work regulations given to him by the franchisor;
- there is often a system of fines for non-compliance with instructions, and in case of serious violations, the organizers may decide to close the branch;
- Even before starting work, it would be a good idea to ask what will happen to the business after leaving the franchise, and what the entrepreneur will lose in this case.
And only after considering all aspects of working on a sushi franchise, carefully studying all the points of the presentation, as well as the successes of already operating branches, can you make a final decision: start a business from scratch or become part of a successful team.
A little about the brand
The “WOK Cafe” franchise is an ideal business for those who like to eat delicious food and earn juicy money. This fast food establishment combines traditional Russian products and exotic Asian-style cooking techniques. The modern rhythm of life dictates its own rules, so the idea of “food to go” will continue to be a popular niche in the catering industry.
Before you buy the WOK Cafe Asian cuisine franchise, you should get to know the brand better. The cuisine of this brand is special: gourmets will be greeted by traditional Russian products prepared in a spicy south-eastern style. “Food to go” is a great idea both for a metropolis and a city with a small population, because everyone is in a hurry, in all directions, and there is not enough time to sit in a cafe.
The “WOK Cafe” establishment has been operating in Russia since 2011, but the franchise was launched in 2020. Those who want to start a catering business have an excellent opportunity to try their hand at this brand, since the cost of the package is low and the support is high at all levels.
Interesting fact! A tempting offer to buy a WOK cafe franchise for Asian cuisine is suitable even for beginners who have no experience in this field. The network appeared on the Russian market only in 2020 and attracts with its novelty. Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to grow along with their business.
Selecting a room
Regardless of the format of the establishment, be it take-out sushi or a full-fledged restaurant, the correct location plays one of the leading roles in ensuring the flow of customers.
Choose the right room to rent based on 2 main criteria:
- Presence of high pedestrian traffic. Greater traffic can be achieved by locating in recreation areas, close to educational institutions and business centers. The ideal solution would be to occupy an “island” in a shopping center.
- It is advisable that there are no competitors in the immediate vicinity. The sushi business segment can be classified as specific, so you should not choose premises next to a successfully operating bar or cafe. The exception is sushi franchise work. A big name will interest visitors more than a little-known brand.
What area of the room to pay attention to depends on the format of the establishment. If this is a sushi bar or a store whose activities will be based on the delivery and delivery of Japanese dishes, 10-12 square meters is enough. m. For a restaurant you will need 120-150 sq. m to ensure a comfortable pastime in a spacious hall. The rental cost for a small premises will average 15,000 rubles; if you plan to open a restaurant, the costs will increase to 80-120 thousand rubles.
Conditions and prices of popular franchises
Buying a franchise in any case simplifies the process of organizing any business. In addition, it allows you to obtain special technologies that the franchisor uses. However, for this, the future business owner must pay a lump sum fee and make deductions every month.
Interestingly, all popular franchises in this area have very different conditions. Among the most common and visited networks are the following.
Sushi Shop
A rapidly growing chain of Japanese cuisine stores. In terms of conditions, the company focuses on compliance with all legal regulations (of which there are quite a lot in the food industry). In addition, it offers the following benefits:
- Providing training for franchisees and their employees;
- Providing marketing support (mainly through social networks);
- Providing assistance in developing your own corporate website;
- Implementation of client engagement technologies in order to increase his loyalty to the company (through master classes, trainings, seminars, etc.);
- Conducting mandatory certification of all employees;
- Continuous improvement and implementation of the latest technologies and services.
Among the monthly expenses are the costs of personnel, rent, advertising budget, business expenses, as well as deductions to the franchisor (royalties), which are fixed at 32,000 rubles per month. At the same time, the cost (lump sum) is 430 thousand rubles, and the investment in opening is about 1.3 million rubles . In this case, the payback period will be from 5 to 8 months .
You can watch an interesting interview with one of the franchisees of the network in the video:
Sushi Set
This chain of stores has a number of requirements for the premises of the enterprise:
- The area must be at least 30 square meters if we are talking about street trading, and 10 square meters (if there is a utility room available) if the location is in a shopping center;
- Power supply from 10 kW;
- Availability of sewerage and water supply;
- For street trading, it is necessary to have a separate entrance, provided that the location is no higher than the 1st floor, and for a shopping center, the location must be next to the cash registers of a grocery store.
Among the special services, the company provides consultations on the choice of premises, a database of suppliers (if present in the same region as the main company), as well as monitoring of product quality and compliance with corporate standards.
The lump-sum contribution is 199 thousand rubles for the regions and 299 thousand rubles for Moscow and St. Petersburg. Royalty will be 3.9% of turnover, investments from 900 thousand to 1.5 million rubles, and the payback period is from 5 months .
Sushi paddles
This is a network of sushi bars with a special concept, thanks to which visitors can watch how rolls are prepared on a kind of conveyor belt. This allows you to attract more clients.
Otherwise, the package for purchasing a franchise is quite standard and does not stand out too much. The payback period will be about 7-10 months , and the cost level will be from 1.2 to 1.7 million rubles .
SUSHIROLLER
It is an unusual format in the field of mobile fast food. Thus, the company produces rolls and sushi in special packaging: their advantage is that they can be eaten right on the street or at work. It is noteworthy that the company provides different types of equipment for both indoor and outdoor formats.
Among the services provided to franchisees are:
- Preparation of stocked retail outlets;
- Availability of special (patented) packaging for rolls;
- Step-by-step instructions for organizing and maintaining a business;
- Consultations and support in personnel selection;
- Organization of logistics (namely delivery of products to the point of sale);
- Consulting and marketing support;
- Possibility of obtaining exclusive sales rights in a particular region of operation.
In this case, investments will range from 100 to 250 thousand rubles . The company does not charge a lump sum fee, since it is a direct supplier of equipment and sells it to the franchisor. There are also no royalties due to the fact that the products for sale (as well as packaging) are also purchased by the franchisee from the company. The payback period is 1-2 months .
Sushi Port
This is a network that combines the format of retail outlets and cafes. It has existed since 2007. The company has its own concept aimed at providing quality products at affordable prices and standardizing business processes. At the same time, the cafes are positioned as the first fast food restaurants entirely related to Japanese cuisine.
Terms include:
- Providing ready-made recipes and process regulations;
- High profitability with low starting salaries;
- Possibility of training in open locations;
- Fast implementation of the project, the period of which ranges from 30 to 60 days.
The required area is 50 sq.m. subject to 8 employees in the case of a store and 150 sq.m. for cafe format. Royalty is 6% per month (calculated from turnover). Franchisees will also have to pay advertising fees in the amount of 10 thousand rubles every 30 days. The initial investment is about 1.7 million rubles , of which 450 thousand rubles is a lump sum contribution.
Sushi City
It is another popular chain of Japanese cuisine stores that provides customers with the opportunity to take food away or receive it through a delivery service. The company provides not only training to employees, but also the opportunity to hire a chef already working in the organization (subject to the availability of candidates willing to change their place of residence). The Sushi City chain guarantees full support for all franchisee processes.
The room should be 70 square meters in size. The lump sum contribution is 300 thousand rubles, taking into account that the size of the investment will be from 1.3 to 1.7 million rubles . In this case, royalties are paid monthly in the amount of 6%, and the payback period ranges from 8 to 12 months .
Planet Sushi
It is one of the most recognizable companies in the field of Japanese cuisine cafes. It offers a standard package of services when purchasing a franchise. The lump sum contribution is 35,000 euros, and the investment size is about 13-15 million rubles . Royalties are paid as standard: in the amount of 6% of revenue with a payback period of 3-3.5 years . Most often, a cafe opens together with the Italian restaurant IL Patio, which allows to increase the flow of customers and the level of profitability of the project.
Another popular option is the Sushi Wok company.
If you are interested in how much a Shokoladnitsa franchise costs, read this material. How to open a bakery franchise yourself - read this article.
Staff
The most important thing in any business is to retain the client.
Of course, attractive pricing and a cozy environment with a memorable design are important for this. But the main thing that makes visitors come back is first-class dishes and quality service. Therefore, when choosing personnel, it is worth considering not only professional skills, but also personal qualities.
To work productively, the staff must include:
- sushi experts;
- cashier;
- accountant;
- cleaning woman;
- waiter (for a restaurant).
The main employee can rightfully be considered a sushi chef. The number of regular customers depends on the person who knows how to cook sushi perfectly. At the moment, the Japanese dish is widespread, and it has long lost its exclusivity. The only thing that will make buyers pay attention is high-quality products. Therefore, it is advisable that the cook be experienced and master the secrets of oriental cuisine.
For service personnel, such qualities as friendliness, ability to speak correctly, neatness and restraint are important. No matter how delicious the food is, rude service will scare away customers. Therefore, when hiring a cashier or waiters, you need to pay attention to the stress resistance and communication skills of applicants.
Sushi wok
One of the leaders in the sushi business segment, operating in a take-away format, is Sushi Wok, which offers cooperation to both experienced entrepreneurs and novice businessmen.
The company, which has been on the market since 2011, successfully operates in 5 countries, as evidenced by the opening of more than 700 stores selling Japanese dishes. The main feature of the Sushi Wok franchise is a low royalty percentage and a unique menu.
How much does it cost to start a project:
- Lump sum payment – 149 thousand rubles.
- Royalty – 2.5% of revenue
- Turnkey investments – 1.5 million rubles.
- Projected monthly revenue - 350,000 ... 1,500,000 rubles.
- The project will pay off in six months
The total amount is 1,649,000 rubles.
What investments in opening include:
- rental and renovation of premises (15-70 sq. m);
- sign and advertising;
- equipment;
- furniture;
- a uniform;
- products;
- packaging materials.
Benefits for franchisees:
- Training is organized for the entrepreneur, during which experienced consultants teach him all the intricacies of the work.
- Installation and use of unique software developed for the Sushi Wok chain of stores.
- Effective promotion through original marketing technologies and organization of advertising campaigns.
❓ How to choose franchises for a sushi bar?
There are many successful chains operating in the takeaway sushi and rolls trade. Major market players offer aspiring entrepreneurs to join them through franchising and develop under a well-promoted brand. We studied three proposals and identified their strengths and weaknesses and identified the leading network.
The results of the express analysis are shown in the table:
Sushi Set
A popular sushi supplier is inviting future franchisee partners to share in the financial success of a large chain of stores.
To purchase a sushi franchise you will need:
- Necessary investments - from 800,000 to 1,500,000 rubles.
- Royalty – first quarter – 1%, starting from 4 months – 3%
- Preparation time for opening – about 1 month
- The investment return period is 6 months.
Opening conditions:
- willingness to learn and a great desire to earn money;
- availability of the necessary amount to launch a store;
- premises that meet the necessary requirements: from 30 sq. m on the ground floor with a separate entrance door, equipped with centralized water supply and sewerage.
Benefits of Sushi Wok
A franchise has advantages compared to similar financial products:
- low level of competition due to the unique format;
- simple and recognizable store style;
- popular “take away” sales system;
- consumer audience of all ages;
- high level of demand;
- low costs providing high stable profits;
- pricing policy is designed for a wide range of consumers;
- raw materials and technologies ensure unsurpassed quality of goods;
- support to the parent organization in resolving issues arising from the subsidiary organization;
- an impeccable reputation of the trade brand, which helps to cooperate with other companies, banking institutions and regional authorities;
- organizing training and certification of employees, which allows us to provide services at the proper level.
Sushi Food
A large fast food chain in Russia, Sushi Food, offers cooperation on interesting terms.
According to the franchisor, an entrepreneurial project for a sushi franchise involves organizing exclusively your own business. Acceptance of a franchise offer implies assistance in supporting an entrepreneurial project and does not deprive it of the right to independent management.
Sushi franchise cost:
- Lump sum payment – 199,000 – 299,000 rubles.
- Initial investment – 300,000 – 900,000 rubles.
- Royalties, starting from 4 months of work - 15,000 - 20,000 rubles.
The Sushi Food project can be implemented in 4 formats:
- Delivery: 199 thousand rubles. (lump sum) + 300 thousand rubles. (opening), payback 4 months.
- Sushi shop: 299 thousand rubles. + 500 thousand rubles, for 6 seats.
- Food court in a shopping center: 299 thousand rubles. + 600 thousand rubles
- Checkout area at train stations, airports, hypermarkets: 299 thousand rubles. + 600 thousand rubles
Total: opening will require 500,000 - 900,000 rubles.
What is included in the Sushi Food franchise package:
- joint selection of premises and assistance in design solutions;
- organization of marketing and advertising strategy;
- provision of a technical plan and list of equipment for the kitchen and retail area;
- training in cooking technology;
- master classes on customer service;
- monitoring compliance with work standards;
- legal advice;
- business management and employee motivation.
What does a VOK cafe fast food franchise include?
Having dealt with the question of how much you will have to pay, every entrepreneur will want to know what they will have to pay a tidy sum for.
The franchisor, in return for paying royalties and a lump sum fee, offers its partners the following services:
- permission to use the trademark;
- provision of a corporate design project for a retail space;
- assistance in choosing and preparing premises for a future cafe;
- consulting services on legalizing business and obtaining permits;
- adding your catering point to the franchisor’s official website;
- connecting the cafe to the general bonus system;
- Providing branded menus for TVs on the sales floor;
- a set of technological maps for preparing signature dishes;
- consultations with the manager during the renovation of the premises;
- training courses for management and staff of the future cafe;
- internship opportunity in one of the franchise cafes;
- consultations on business management;
- providing an effective company management system;
- preparation of a project for the placement of technological equipment;
- design of energy networks, ventilation and sewerage systems.
By concluding a franchise agreement, the entrepreneur will also receive a brand book and advice on effective marketing tools. The franchisor is interested in revenue growth and receiving a larger royalty amount, so he will provide any possible support for your business. This is especially important for beginners who are just trying to open their own business and do not yet have experience in management and planning.
Attention! Don't be afraid to ask questions of the franchisor. Ask about possible problems at the initial stage. Ask what mistakes other franchisees have made. It is better to adopt the experience accumulated before you as much as possible than to risk your capital.
SUSHIMAG
A large Russian chain of sushi stores gives potential franchisees the opportunity to conduct a profitable business under the SUSHIMAG brand. At the same time, the future partner must be prepared to comply with the established work regulations, but at the same time realize that he will be the owner of his business.
Terms of cooperation:
- Lump sum payment – from RUB 99,000.
- Royalty – 2%
- Investments from 400,000 rub.
- Return on investment – from 3 months
By purchasing a sushi franchise, an entrepreneur receives the right to use a trademark and exclusive technologies. During the preparation and opening of the company, the franchisor provides active assistance and connects the new partner to the company’s official website.
Japanese restaurant "Niyama"
For those who want to organize a large-scale business with an income of 1,000,000 rubles. per month, the Niyama Japanese restaurant chain has prepared a franchise offer:
- advisory assistance in developing a restaurant project and at the stage of construction and finishing work;
- paperwork;
- training;
- advertising support;
- joint launch and management of a restaurant.
Terms of cooperation:
- room area 200-400 sq. m
- the contract is concluded for 5-10 years;
- lump sum payment – 1,500,000 rub.
- royalty – 150,000 rub. + 2% of revenue for monthly advertising;
- payback – 1.5-2 years (including the construction of your own building in the investment).
Required investments:
- Rent – 500,000 rub.
- Construction of the complex - 4,000,000 rubles.
- Design and repair – 1,200,000 rub.
- Furniture – 600,000 rub.
- Additional engineering – 1,200,000 rub.
- Equipment and low valuation - 1,850,000 rub.
- Advertising and marketing – 1,000,000 rub.
- Legal expenses - 250,000 rubles.
- Other expenses - 300,000 rubles.
- Lump sum payment – RUB 1,500,000.
Total: 12,400,000 rubles.
The financial outcome of each franchised restaurant depends on its location and the efforts of the franchisee. Already in the first 30 days, the company predicts a profit of 1,000,000 rubles.