How to open a sushi bar? Costs and franchising opportunities are the main topics covered in this article.
Table of Contents
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO OPEN A SUSHI BAR? 2
Bureaucratic procedures and start-up costs. 3
#1 Kyosko Sushi (https://kyosko.it/) 3
#2 Sushi Art Day (https://sushiartday.com/) 4
Permits, Procedures, and Requirements for Opening a Sushi Bar. 4
CONCLUSIONS ON THE SUSHI BAR. 5
WHY OPEN A SUSHI BAR
In our section dedicated to entrepreneurship, starting your own business ( https://www.guidaconsumatore.com/imprenditoria/come-mettersi-in-proprio.html ) is a topic that is often discussed.
After the recent articles: how to open a bar ( https://www.guidaconsumatore.com/imprenditoria/come-aprire-un-bar.html ) and how to open a Mini Market ( https://www.guidaconsumatore.com/imprenditoria/come-aprire-un-mini-market.html ) today we take a leap to the East to explore all the advantages of opening a sushi bar.
An entrepreneur looking for a new business idea in the restaurant sector may consider opening a sushi bar , a unique establishment that is still lacking, especially in small to medium-sized businesses.
Sushi bars are generally small, tastefully furnished establishments in a modern style that recreates the typical atmosphere of similar establishments found in Japan.
Among the typical features of a sushi bar is the presence of an open counter where the fish and various dishes prepared by the chefs are displayed.
Other types of sushi bars are characterized by the presence of a sliding counter, the Kaiten-zushi, thanks to which customers can choose their dishes.
The novelty and curiosity that could arise after opening such a business could attract a significant number of customers and thus ensure a competitive advantage—a concept that is both dear and important to entrepreneurs.
Opening a sushi bar is certainly a less popular option than other businesses. This is because it requires expertise in Japanese cuisine, which means relying on someone of Japanese origin or at least someone specialized in this field.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO OPEN A SUSHI BAR?
The costs of opening a sushi bar do not differ much from other businesses such as classic restaurants and bars.
The factors that influence the costs required to open a business are, therefore, the same. In particular:
The city and the area
Opening a sushi bar in the center of a large city like Milan or Rome involves high costs, due to the rent and the location’s proximity to tourists and residents.
The staff
It’s necessary to hire or collaborate with some Japanese cuisine experts. Depending on the size of the restaurant, an adequate number of people is needed for tasks such as preparation, customer service, and cleaning.
Clearly, a small sushi bar run by three or four people has lower staffing costs than a sushi bar that requires ten or twenty chefs, waiters, and dining room managers.
Furniture
Furnishings also vary greatly in cost. The more you try to create an atmosphere similar to typical Japanese venues, the higher the costs will be.
Decorating in Japanese style requires a wise choice of materials and ornaments, and a visit to Japan can probably help you get an idea of how sushi bars are set up.
Furthermore, the costs of refrigerators and machinery should not be underestimated. Sushi bars are characterized by the fact that they work with quality raw materials and fresh fish, which requires specific preservation procedures.
The products
A sushi bar primarily deals with fish, an expensive product that requires suitable storage. Among the products, it’s also important to find the right suppliers to ensure that, in addition to sushi, you can also find ingredients such as seaweed, traditional sauces (soy and sake), as well as uramaki and nigiri.
Bureaucratic procedures and start-up costs
The costs of opening a sushi bar , or any other business, include bureaucratic formalities, notary fees (if purchasing the premises), accountant fees, and all the costs associated with starting the business, from raw materials to staff clothing.
It is essential to develop a business plan to calculate all the costs necessary for starting up and managing the business for the next 5–7 years.
Marketing and advertising
To make yourself known, you will need to budget for both online and offline marketing and advertising expenses .
The costs could run into several thousand euros, as they also include the costs of hiring one or more professionals to manage the website and social media pages.
Generally, the cost of opening a sushi bar ranges from €50,000 to €150,000 for larger establishments located in exclusive areas of the city.
OPEN A SUSHI BAR FRANCHISE
A less expensive alternative to opening a sushi bar is franchising ( https://www.guidaconsumatore.com/imprenditoria/che-cose-un-franchising.html ).
Franchising opportunities also allow you to open a sushi restaurant, or a place specializing in take-out sushi.
For a sum between 15,000 and 30,000 it is possible to rely on all the experience brought by the franchisor and therefore realise your dream of opening this business.
Checking online for opportunities to open a sushi bar franchise, we recommend the following two websites:
#1 Kyosko Sushi ( https://kyosko.it/ )
Kyosko Sushi offers a solution for anyone planning to open a restaurant that combines Japanese and Italian culinary cultures.
The franchise offering allows us to offer both traditional sushi and tasty salads and sandwiches.
The company offers three franchising options:
Kyosko Sushi Corner
Sushi Corner can be opened anywhere, in the city or even inside a shopping mall. Like any respectable franchise, the furnishings and raw materials are supplied directly by the company. This is an advantage because it doesn’t require experienced sushi chefs on staff.
Kyosko Sushi Kiosk
The Sushi Kiosk requires a space of at least 12 square meters and, like the previous one, can be opened anywhere. The company takes care of providing the entire structure and, in addition to the installation of the kiosk, also takes care of aspects such as the signage, marketing , and offering all the necessary support.
The minimum contract is five years and includes training for staff.
Kyosco Sushi Store
A Sushi Store requires a minimum of 30 square meters of space and does not require the installation of a chimney. The company also takes care of everything: design, supply of machinery, accessories, web design, and marketing.
The affiliate is only required to operate the establishment using the products and drinks provided.
#2 Sushi Art Day ( https://sushiartday.com/ )
Sushi Art Day was founded in 2014 and is a company specialized in the production of sushi using exclusively high-quality raw materials.
Among the features of franchising is the possibility of opening a sushi bar with an all-you-can-eat formula.
There are three franchising options available:
- FULL formula starting from 49,000 euros
- SMALL formula starting from 29,900 euros
- CORNER formula starting from 29,900 euros.
Interestingly, the wording on the website states that the amounts can be financed by the parent company.
To join the Sushi Art Day franchising program you must:
- Have a space of 80-100 m2
- Have all the legal requirements for installing a chimney;
- Pay a monthly royalty of 4% on gross revenue;
- From 3 to 6 people to be included in the staff;
The company offers:
- Food products;
- Training and know-how ;
- The design of the premises;
- Use of the trademark;
- Advertising activities;
- An e-commerce site for online orders;
- An app for ordering.
Permits, procedures, and requirements for opening a sushi bar
A long process of obtaining permits and bureaucratic procedures awaits the entrepreneur about to open a sushi bar, who will need to rely on an accountant to handle all the paperwork.
The classic bureaucratic procedure to follow includes:
- Opening a company and obtaining a VAT number;
- Registration with INPS and INAIL;
- Certificates to carry out SAB and HACCP activities;
- The communication of commencement of activity;
- Register the company in the Companies Registry;
- Permission to display the sign.
Once the bureaucratic procedures have been completed, it is also necessary to ensure that the sushi bar meets certain requirements specific to these activities.
The place should be in Japanese style and should be equipped with typical oriental images and special wooden chopsticks.
It may be a good idea to set aside a typical area to build a small pond and an oriental-style garden.
Furthermore, the presence of bamboo partitions and traditional paintings allows the venue to perfectly recreate the environments.
CONCLUSIONS ON THE SUSHI BAR
Opening your own sushi bar or franchise is a business idea that seems to have all the makings of a success.
If we take the United States as a reference, often a forerunner of innovations, as reported in a research conducted by IBIS World ( https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/sushi-restaurants-industry/ ), restaurants specializing in sushi have been growing (+5%) over the last five years.
However, as also highlighted in the aforementioned research, until restaurants and bars are able to operate freely due to Covid-19, in Italy and around the world, it is rather difficult to establish exactly when activities will be able to resume at full capacity.
The advice is to plan an efficient take-away and home delivery plan, while waiting for the situation to return to normal.
