Sushi Avenue Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Sushi Avenue is a franchise operating made-fresh sushi counters inside grocery and specialty stores. Franchisees run an in-store sushi station preparing rolls and bowls to order, earning a commission through the host store.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Sushi Avenue franchise requires a total initial investment of $40K – $158K, including a $1K – $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 0.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 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 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $40K – $158K
- 0th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 0.0%
- 0th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 329
- 35th 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 $40K – $158K including a $40K franchise fee, 0.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 contains no financial performance representations; franchisor makes no representations about franchisee financial performance.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 45.1% CAGR over 3 years with 329 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- SAH Holdings, LLC
- Parent company
- Sushi Avenue, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Sojitz Corporation
- Predecessor
- Sushi Avenue, Incorporated
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Manager, President/CEO
- Shingo Fujii
- Incorporated in
- MN
- HQ
- 895 Blue Gentian Rd., #6, Eagan, MN 55121
- Auditor
- Cavanaugh & Company, PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $57K
- vs $60K prior year
Affiliated brands
- Sushi Avenue
- One Two Three Sushi Holding
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Shingo Fujii
- Headquarters
- MN
- Founded
- 2023
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 21
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 91% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown20 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | — | — | |
| Insurance (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | $500 | $5K | |
| Initial Training Fees, travel, living expenses during initial training (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | $0 | $10K | |
| Professional Advisors (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Point of Sale Marketing Materials (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Equipment, smallwares, and computer (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | $0 | $11K | |
| Initial food inventory, uniform and supply purchases (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | $0 | $20K | |
| Local business license fees and permits (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | $100 | $5K | |
| Background Check, Credit Check and Drug Test (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | $0 | $250 | |
| Additional funds - 3 months initial phase (Contract Chef Location)not refundable | $5K | $25K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (New Location)not refundable | $0 | $20K | |
| Insurance (New Location)not refundable | $500 | $5K | |
| Initial Training Fees, travel, living expenses during initial training (New Location)not refundable | $0 | $10K | |
| Professional Advisors (New Location)not refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Point of Sale Marketing Materials (New Location)not refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Equipment, smallwares, and computer (New Location)not refundable | $3K | $11K | |
| Initial food inventory, uniform and supply purchases (New Location)not refundable | $20K | $20K | |
| Local business license fees and permits (New Location)not refundable | $100 | $5K | |
| Background Check, Credit Check and Drug Test (New Location)not refundable | $250 | $250 | |
| Additional funds - 3 months initial phase (New Location)not refundable | $5K | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $37K | $186K |
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
- $40K – $158K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $1K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 0.0%
- formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 1.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $200 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $50 |
| Inventory (initial) | $4K – $30K |
| Total fee load | 1.5% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Sushi Avenue 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 Sushi Avenue unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
106%
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 19 contains no financial performance representations; franchisor makes no representations about franchisee financial performance.
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 1.5% — 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 45.1% CAGR over 3 years across 329 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 Sushi Avenue Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 329
- Opened
- 213
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 7
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.4%
- Company-owned
- 21
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 95%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +45.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +45.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 27
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 23
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 5
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 16 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
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
Parent-level financials show positive net worth $510,658 but essentially no operating revenue ($3,313), and no Item 19 disclosure. Four Item-3 litigation matters against a mid-size 323-unit system (214 franchised) is not alarming on a per-unit basis. Stacked minor concerns: no Item 19 plus 4 suits plus opaque parent financials.
Litigation (Item 3)
All 4 matters involve the predecessor entity Sushi Avenue, Incorporated (pre-dating SAH Holdings, LLC's franchise program launched Sept 2023). Three civil actions (2015-2016) were resolved via confidential settlement/dismissal. A 2024 Washington Securities Division consent order found 14 unregistered/undisclosed franchise-type agreements (2016-2024) in violation of the WFIPA; predecessor paid $2,000 in investigative costs and agreed to cease and desist.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Cavanaugh & Company, PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 74 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 02HIGH4 litigation matters (moderate for 323-unit system)
- 03MINORParent-level financials, negligible standalone revenue $3,313
- 04MINORNo bankruptcy or going-concern
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 1.5% 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 | 3 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 3 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | 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 | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Minnesota |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | MN |
| Litigation count | 4 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
All 4 matters involve the predecessor entity Sushi Avenue, Incorporated (pre-dating SAH Holdings, LLC's franchise program launched Sept 2023). Three civil actions (2015-2016) were resolved via confidential settlement/dismissal. A 2024 Washington Securities Division consent order found 14 unregistered/undisclosed franchise-type agreements (2016-2024) in violation of the WFIPA; predecessor paid $2,000 in investigative costs and agreed to cease and desist.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 24 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 24 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate Headquarters (Eagan, MN), Regional Locations, and/or designated Sushi Bar
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisor (typically obtains and assigns location within a Store)
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
99 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Sushi Avenue · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Sushi Avenue franchise?
The total investment to open a Sushi Avenue franchise ranges from $40K – $158K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Sushi Avenue franchise owners earn?
Sushi Avenue 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 Sushi Avenue 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 Sushi Avenue FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Sushi Avenue's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Sushi Avenue (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 Sushi Avenue franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Sushi Avenue has 329 total units in the United States, including 308 franchised units and 21 company-owned units. 213 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Sushi Avenue a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Sushi Avenue as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 74 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
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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.