Hissho Sushi Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Hissho Sushi runs made-fresh sushi counters, typically inside supermarkets, food courts, and high-traffic venues. Franchisees operate a compact in-store station rolling sushi to order under Hissho's recipes and standards.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Hissho Sushi franchise requires a total initial investment of $27K – $137K, including a $8K franchise fee and an ongoing 0.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $27K – $137K
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 0.0%
- 0th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 2,449
- 38th 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 avg · 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 $27K – $137K including a $8K franchise fee, 0.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFY2024 Total Revenue of $37,523,567 comprised Administrative fees $1,638,181, Commissions income $29,201,596, and Franchisee fees $6,683,790. Audited statements of Hissho International, LLC (franchisor) for years ended Dec 31, 2024 and 2023.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 78/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 16.4% CAGR over 3 years with 2449 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Hissho International, LLC
- Parent company
- Hissho Holdco, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Hissho Sushi Holdings, LLC (controlled by Brentwood Associates)
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Daniel Beem
- CEO experience
- 7 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 11949 Steele Creek Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28273
- Auditor
- Cherry Bekaert
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $37.5M
- vs $34.3M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- Hissho Operations
- Lwin Family Co
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Daniel Beem
- Headquarters
- NC
- Founded
- 2013
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 48
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 93% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $8K | $8K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $500 | $5K | |
| Training (Initial, Sushi Chef)not refundable | $4K | $13K | |
| ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certificationnot refundable | $99 | $179 | |
| Professional Advisorsnot refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Point-of-Sale and Other Marketing Materialsnot refundable | $300 | $2K | |
| Initial equipment & small waresnot refundable | $1K | $25K | |
| Sushi robotnot refundable | $0 | $14K | |
| Hissho Label System Terminalnot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Initial food inventory and supply purchasesnot refundable | $5K | $31K | |
| Uniformsnot refundable | $400 | $400 | |
| Local and State Business License Fees and Permitsnot refundable | $100 | $6K | |
| Confidential Franchise Manual Loan Deposit Fee & Initial Loan Deposit SSOP/HACCP Food Safety Plan Book Feenot refundable | $300 | $300 | |
| Initial Background Check, Credit Check, and Drug Testnot refundable | $150 | $150 | |
| Computer (hardware & software)not refundable | $500 | $800 | |
| Additional funds (3 months initial phase)not refundable | $5K | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $27K | $137K |
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
- $27K – $137K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $8K – $8K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 0.0%
- formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 2.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $125 |
| Training fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Renewal fee | $8K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $31K |
| Total fee load | 2.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Hissho Sushi did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Hissho Sushi unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
124%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
FY2024 Total Revenue of $37,523,567 comprised Administrative fees $1,638,181, Commissions income $29,201,596, and Franchisee fees $6,683,790. Audited statements of Hissho International, LLC (franchisor) for years ended Dec 31, 2024 and 2023.
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 2.0% — below the Full-Service Restaurants average of 7.6%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 16.4% CAGR over 3 years across 2,449 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 averages
How Hissho Sushi Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2,449
- Opened
- 461
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 107
- Terminated
- 107
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 4.5%
- Company-owned
- 60
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +16.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +16.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 461
- Terminated (3yr)
- 107
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 304
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 154
- Franchisor bought back
- Transfer rate
- 12.4%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 90.2%
- Units that stayed open
- Termination rate
- 4.4%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 46 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.
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
Hissho Sushi presents caution-level risk due to complete absence of unit-level financial disclosure, variable royalty structure, unprotected territory, and modest system growth that masks unknown unit churn.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Cherry Bekaert
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 78 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosure (average revenue and net income not provided) — impossible to assess unit economics or profitability
- 02MINORRoyalty structure ranges 0-25% with no clarity on how/when rates increase — potential for unexpected margin compression
- 03MINOR2,449 units with only 9.1% YoY growth is modest for established brand; no context on unit closures or churn rate
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk — franchisor can award same area to competitors
- 05MEDShort 3-year term with no renewal information disclosed — recurring renegotiation risk and potential forced exit
- 06MINORWide investment range ($26,849–$136,829) suggests highly variable unit economics and unclear path to profitability
- 07MINORLow franchise fee ($7,500) relative to investment range indicates franchisor revenue heavily dependent on ongoing royalties
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 2.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 3 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 3 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | none |
| 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 | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | NC |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 31 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 50 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate Headquarters, Charlotte, NC; Regional locations and/or designated Sushi Bar
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor selects or approves franchisee-proposed sites at Retail Host locations
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Hissho Label System (touch screen terminal with label printer; sales processed through Retail Host POS)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Hissho Label System (touch screen terminal with label printer; sales processed through Retail Host POS)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
2,291 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Hissho Sushi · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Hissho Sushi franchise?
The total investment to open a Hissho Sushi franchise ranges from $27K – $137K, with an initial franchise fee of $8K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Hissho Sushi franchise owners earn?
Hissho 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 Item 19 in the Hissho 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 Hissho Sushi FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Hissho Sushi's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Hissho 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 Hissho Sushi franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Hissho Sushi has 2,449 total units in the United States, including 2,389 franchised units and 60 company-owned units. 461 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Hissho Sushi a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Hissho Sushi as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 78 out of 100 (higher is better), 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
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.