Ace Sushi Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $18K – $128K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Ace Sushi is a franchise operating fresh, made-in-store sushi counters inside supermarkets and grocery stores. Franchisees run an in-store sushi station preparing rolls and bowls to order.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A ACE SUSHI franchise requires a total initial investment of $18K – $128K, including a $6K – $15K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored4 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $18K – $128K
- 0th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 37th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 123
- 32nd pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-Service Restaurants median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $18K – $128K including a $6K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 65/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +20 franchised outlets in the latest year (71 opened, 51 closed) (Item 20).
- FLAG37 units terminated last reporting year (30.1% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Ace Sushi Franchise Corporation
- Parent company
- Asiana Management Group, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 10 of the 2026 FDD
- CEO title
- Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
- Harlan H. Chin
- Incorporated in
- California
- HQ
- 22771 S Western Avenue, Torrance, California 90501
- Auditor
- Windes, Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.1M
- vs $1.2M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Harlan H. Chin
- Headquarters
- California
- Founded
- 2004
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 23
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 89% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $125 | $125 | |
| Initial Training Fee | $500 | $500 | |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $6K | $15K | |
| Licenses | $100 | $1K | |
| Insurance | $400 | $4K | |
| Initial Food Inventory | $3K | $30K | |
| Initial Marketing, Small Wares, Supplies, Uniforms and Other Non-Food Items | $1K | $4K | |
| Equipment Purchase/Rental | $50 | $500 | |
| Label Machine | $500 | $500 | |
| Sushi Robot | $0 | $17K | |
| Computer System | $100 | $600 | |
| Onsite Training Fee | $2K | $9K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $30K | |
| Expenses Before Opening | $500 | $5K | |
| Additional Funds, Working Capital Reserve (for 3 months) | $5K | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $18K | $128K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $18K – $128K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $10K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $6K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% |
| Technology fee | $99 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Renewal fee | $100 |
| Inventory (initial) | $3K – $30K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
ACE SUSHI makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one ACE SUSHI unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% — above the Full-Service Restaurants median of 7.0%.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System expanding at 98.3% CAGR over 3 years across 123 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Full-Service Restaurants medians
How Ace Sushi Compares
Category median of published Full-Service Restaurants brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 123
- Opened
- 71
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 51
- Terminated
- 37
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 41.5%
- Company-owned
- 6
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 95%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +98.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +98.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 37
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 24
- Reacquired
- 4
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 31 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
588 current owners across 31 states.
- CA 283
- IL 44
- MI 37
- IN 31
- MO 20
- OH 15
- WA 15
- WI 14
- PA 13
- ID 11
- MT 11
- MN 10
- +19 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Item 3 discloses 5 actions: (1) Maryland Securities Division determination/consent order that AMG's Contracts for Services were unregistered franchises (2004-2005); (2) Rhode Island determination of franchise-law violation, $5,000 fine (2005); (3) Virginia State Corporation Commission action, $1,500 investigation costs + $15,600 penalty (2005-2006); (4) Washington DFI Securities Division consent order, $600 reimbursement (2006); and (5) Ngung Sang v. Ace Sushi Franchise Corp. (Iowa small claims, 2021), a former franchisee breach/fraud claim settled for $5,375 in 2022. The first four are regulatory/administrative orders against AMG (and Ace) relating to pre-franchise Contracts for Services; the fifth is a private franchisee small-claims action. "Other than these 5 actions, no litigation is required to be disclosed."
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Windes, Inc.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
FY2025 revenue = franchise fees $822,256 + initial training fees $290,200 = $1,112,456 (FY2024 $1,198,473). Net of provision for credit losses, recognized revenue $1,111,656 (2025).
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 65 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGH4 state regulatory orders (MD, RI, VA, WA) for franchise registration/disclosure violations suggest systemic compliance failures and potential fraud risk
- 02MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed (missing Item 19) — prevents ROI validation and suggests corporate may be hiding poor unit economics
- 03MINORNo territory protection — franchisees face direct competition from other ACE SUSHI units and cannot defend market share
- 04MINORRoyalty structure tied to 'chef or invoice price' is vague and creates ambiguity on actual payment obligations
- 05HIGH1 franchise closure with small claims litigation suggests unit failure and potential payment disputes with franchisor
- 06MINOR20.6% YoY growth masks potential unit churn — growth rate is superficial without retention/closure data
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 4 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 4 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 5 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Item 3 discloses 5 actions: (1) Maryland Securities Division determination/consent order that AMG's Contracts for Services were unregistered franchises (2004-2005); (2) Rhode Island determination of franchise-law violation, $5,000 fine (2005); (3) Virginia State Corporation Commission action, $1,500 investigation costs + $15,600 penalty (2005-2006); (4) Washington DFI Securities Division consent order, $600 reimbursement (2006); and (5) Ngung Sang v. Ace Sushi Franchise Corp. (Iowa small claims, 2021), a former franchisee breach/fraud claim settled for $5,375 in 2022. The first four are regulatory/administrative orders against AMG (and Ace) relating to pre-franchise Contracts for Services; the fifth is a private franchisee small-claims action. "Other than these 5 actions, no litigation is required to be disclosed."
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 8 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 55 hrs
- Training location
- ACE's Online Learning Management System (initial); Host Venue Sushi Bar (onsite)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
588 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a ACE SUSHI franchise?
The total investment to open a ACE SUSHI franchise ranges from $18K – $128K, with an initial franchise fee of $6K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do ACE SUSHI franchise owners earn?
ACE SUSHI makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns ACE SUSHI?
ACE SUSHI is franchised by Ace Sushi Franchise Corporation. Its parent company is Asiana Management Group, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the ACE SUSHI FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the ACE SUSHI FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is ACE SUSHI's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for ACE SUSHI (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many ACE SUSHI franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, ACE SUSHI has 123 total units in the United States, including 117 franchised units and 6 company-owned units. 71 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is ACE SUSHI a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates ACE SUSHI as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 65 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.