Onigilly Japanese Kitchen Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Onigilly Japanese Kitchen is a quick-service franchise serving Japanese onigiri rice balls, bowls, and sides. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing food prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Onigilly Japanese Kitchen franchise requires a total initial investment of $265K – $607K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $265K – $607K
- 42nd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Company-owned onlyn=2
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 46th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 5
- 24th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-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 $265K – $607K including a $35K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFranchisor (Onigilly Franchise LLC) reports no operating revenue line in its FY2024 audited comparative statement of income; the income statement begins with SG&A expenses. FY2023 had $16,567 of Interest Income (Other Income) and FY2024 had $0. Net loss FY2024 was ($22,127). Auditor: FACT Professional, Inc. (Gautam Kumar, CPA), dated February 25, 2025.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 41/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports company owned only rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Onigilly Franchise LLC
- Parent company
- Onigilly, Inc.
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Koji Kanematsu
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 343 Kearny Street, San Francisco, California 94108
- Auditor
- FACT Professional, Inc. (Gautam Kumar, President, CPA)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- vs $17K prior year
Affiliated brands
- Onigilly IP
- is the owner of the Licensed Marks
- maintains a pr
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Koji Kanematsu
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 34% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $57K | $267K | |
| Lease Deposits and Rent (Three Months) | $12K | $30K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $97K | $123K | |
| Signage | $5K | $15K | |
| Computer, Software, and Point of Sale System | $6K | $9K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $8K | $8K | |
| Initial Inventory | $7K | $12K | |
| Utility Deposits | $1K | $3K | |
| Insurance Deposits (Three Months) | $2K | $5K | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $6K | $11K | |
| Professional Fees | $12K | $28K | |
| General Licenses and Permits | $3K | $11K | |
| Additional Funds (Three Months) | $15K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $265K | $607K |
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
- $265K – $607K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $415 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $8K |
| Inventory (initial) | $7K – $12K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Onigilly Japanese Kitchen 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 Onigilly Japanese Kitchen unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
26%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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
Franchisor (Onigilly Franchise LLC) reports no operating revenue line in its FY2024 audited comparative statement of income; the income statement begins with SG&A expenses. FY2023 had $16,567 of Interest Income (Other Income) and FY2024 had $0. Net loss FY2024 was ($22,127). Auditor: FACT Professional, Inc. (Gautam Kumar, CPA), dated February 25, 2025.
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
Based on a sample of only 2
- Item 19 type
- company owned only
- Sample size
- 2
- vs category median 20 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $1.6M→$1.7M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 782 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
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 8.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports company owned only rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
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 Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Onigilly Japanese Kitchen Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 6
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
Onigilly presents moderate-to-high risk: a financially distressed franchisor with only 5 units, unverified financial claims, and thin profit margins that may not support the stated investment thesis.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $35,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · FACT Professional, Inc. (Gautam Kumar, President, CPA)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 41 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status indicates financial distress at franchisor level despite positive unit economics
- 02MEDOnly 5 units with unknown growth trajectory suggests stalled expansion and limited proof of scalability
- 03MEDNo Item 19 (financial performance representations) disclosed — unable to validate stated average revenue/net income claims
- 04MINOR6% royalty on $1.65M average revenue = $99K annual royalty plus 6% on food costs represents significant margin pressure
- 05MEDModest net income ($258.5K) on $1.65M revenue = only 15.7% net margin, leaving limited buffer for underperformance
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | San Francisco County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | CA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 100 hrs
- Training location
- San Francisco, California
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 7 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects; franchisor must approve
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Toast
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Toast
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
2 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Onigilly Japanese Kitchen · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Onigilly Japanese Kitchen franchise?
The total investment to open a Onigilly Japanese Kitchen franchise ranges from $265K – $607K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Onigilly Japanese Kitchen franchise owners earn?
Onigilly Japanese Kitchen 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 Onigilly Japanese Kitchen 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 Onigilly Japanese Kitchen FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Onigilly Japanese Kitchen's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Onigilly Japanese Kitchen (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 Onigilly Japanese Kitchen franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Onigilly Japanese Kitchen has 5 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 5 company-owned units.
Is Onigilly Japanese Kitchen a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Onigilly Japanese Kitchen as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 41 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?
If you represent Onigilly Japanese Kitchen, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.