Ace SushiFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A ACE SUSHI franchise requires a total initial investment of $18K – $228K, including a $6K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $18K – $228K
- 0th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 123
- 43rd pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Franchised units fell from 117 to 45 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $18K – $228K including a $6K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 72/100.
- System growing at 98.3% CAGR over 3 years with 123 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- ACE SUSHI FRANCHISE CORPORATION
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 22771 S Western Avenue, Torrance, California 90501
- Auditor
- Windes, Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.2M
- vs $1.1M prior year
Overview
About
ACE SUSHI franchisees operate quick-service sushi restaurants, likely handling food preparation, customer service, inventory management, and point-of-sale operations. Day-to-day responsibilities typically include staff scheduling, food safety compliance, order fulfillment, and managing labor costs within a small footprint format.
- CEO
- Harlan H. Chin
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2004
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 23
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 15 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 – $228K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $10K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $6K – $15K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Typically 8% - 15% of chef or invoice price per unit
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $149 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Renewal fee | $100 |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Ace Sushi Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 123
- Opened
- 71
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 47
- Turnover rate
- 38.2%
- Company-owned
- 6
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 95%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +20.6%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +98.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 24
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.
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.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
ACE SUSHI presents HIGH RISK due to going concern status, multi-state regulatory violations, missing financial disclosures, unprotected territory, and documented franchise closures — prospective franchisees cannot validate unit economics and face significant franchisor stability concerns.
Litigation (Item 3)
Four state regulatory actions against Asiana Management Group, Inc. and ACE Sushi Franchise Corporation for violations of franchise laws in Maryland, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington. All cases involved unlicensed franchise offerings and violations of state franchise disclosure laws. All matters were settled via Consent Orders between 2005-2006. Maryland case resulted in cease and desist order and compliance training requirement. Rhode Island resulted in $5,000 fine. Virginia resulted in $1,500 investigation costs and $15,600 penalty. Washington resulted in $600 reimbursement for investigation costs. No franchisees elected to rescind contracts in any jurisdiction.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Windes, Inc.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- 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 72 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial instability or insolvency risk at corporate level
- 02HIGH4 state regulatory orders (MD, RI, VA, WA) for franchise registration/disclosure violations suggest systemic compliance failures and potential fraud risk
- 03MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed (missing Item 19) — prevents ROI validation and suggests corporate may be hiding poor unit economics
- 04MINORWide investment range ($18K–$227K) without clear breakdown indicates lack of transparency on what franchisees actually receive
- 05MINORNo territory protection — franchisees face direct competition from other ACE SUSHI units and cannot defend market share
- 06MINORRoyalty structure tied to 'chef or invoice price' is vague and creates ambiguity on actual payment obligations
- 07HIGH1 franchise closure with small claims litigation suggests unit failure and potential payment disputes with franchisor
- 08MINOR20.6% YoY growth masks potential unit churn — growth rate is superficial without retention/closure data
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 4 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 4 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | 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
Four state regulatory actions against Asiana Management Group, Inc. and ACE Sushi Franchise Corporation for violations of franchise laws in Maryland, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington. All cases involved unlicensed franchise offerings and violations of state franchise disclosure laws. All matters were settled via Consent Orders between 2005-2006. Maryland case resulted in cease and desist order and compliance training requirement. Rhode Island resulted in $5,000 fine. Virginia resulted in $1,500 investigation costs and $15,600 penalty. Washington resulted in $600 reimbursement for investigation costs. No franchisees elected to rescind contracts in any jurisdiction.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 8 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 55 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
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
FDD download
ACE SUSHI · FDD (2026) PDF
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 – $228K, 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 does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
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 D-grade franchise with a risk score of 72 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. 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
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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.