What Hissho Sushi does

Hissho Sushi is a US-based, family-owned sushi franchise and food service operator founded in 1998 by Philip Maung and operated under Lwin Family Co, LLC. The company runs fresh sushi bars inside host-venue locations — primarily grocery stores, but also hospitals, universities, airports, and corporate food service sites — across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest US regions. Sushi is prepared fresh daily by chefs trained at the company's headquarters in Rock Hill, SC, and sold both as individual packaged rolls and as catering party platters. The product portfolio centers on signature rolls (Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Roll, Crunchy Tofu Roll, Spicy California Cucumber Wrap, Sichuan Chili Crisp California Roll) supplemented by bowls, protein snacks, and party platters.

The business model combines franchise operations, retail partner arrangements, and B2B ingredient supply through an online ordering platform (b2b.hisshosushi.com). Franchisees operate the sushi bars within host venues, while Hissho supplies proprietary ingredients, training, and brand standards centrally. Revenue mechanics include franchise fees/royalties, transaction-based retail partner arrangements, and B2B ingredient sales to the franchisee network. The company differentiates on responsible seafood sourcing — anchored by partnerships with Bornstein Seafoods, Ocean Sky, and Thai Union — and on culinary innovation delivered through co-development partnerships with consumer brands such as Fly By Jing, Franks RedHot, Bachans, and Little Moons.

Name

Hissho Sushi

Legal name

Lwin Family Co, LLC d/b/a Hissho Sushi

Website

https://hisshosushi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hissho Sushi is a family-owned US sushi franchise founded in 1998, operating fresh daily sushi bars inside grocery stores, hospitals, universities, airports, and corporate food service venues across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sushi Restaurant and Food Service Franchise

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Store Sushi & Asian Prepared Foods (CRAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sushi/Sashimi-Grade & Raw Ready-to-Serve Seafood (Including Poke) (AFANALAI)

Keywords

• Sushi restaurant franchise
• Fresh sushi catering
• Japanese cuisine retail
• In-store sushi bars
• Food service franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Franchise Operations: Hissho Sushi operates primarily through a franchise model, providing franchise opportunities for operators to run Hissho Sushi branded sushi bars in various retail locations
2. Retail Partner Arrangements: Sushi bars operating within host partner locations including supermarkets, hospitals, universities, and airports
3. B2B Ingredient Supply: Supply of sushi ingredients and proprietary sauces to franchisees and retail partners through B2B ordering platform

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hissho Sushi operates and franchises sushi bars located inside grocery stores, hospitals, universities, airports, and corporate food service locations, selling freshly prepared sushi rolls, platters, and party trays. The company also licenses its brand, recipes, and operating model to franchisees and venue partners across the United States.

Product overview

Hissho Sushi is a sushi restaurant and food service operator offering individually packaged sushi rolls and party platters for retail environments. The core product portfolio consists of signature sushi rolls including the Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Roll (Frank's RedHot partnership), Crunchy Tofu Roll, Sichuan Chili Crisp California Roll (Fly By Jing partnership), and Spicy California Cucumber Wrap, supplemented by Party Platters for catering occasions. Products are prepared fresh daily by trained sushi chefs and sold through supermarket sushi bars, hospital cafes, university food services, airport locations, and corporate food service operations. The company positions itself around responsible seafood sourcing and culinary innovation through strategic brand partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Venue Sushi Bar Operations Operated sushi bars inside grocery stores, hospitals, universities, airports, and corporate food service locations selling freshly prepared sushi rolls, platters, and party trays to on-site consumers.
• Sushi Catering and Party Platters Variety sushi rolls and party platters available for catering orders, including sushi rolls for events, offices, and gatherings.
• Hissho Sushi Franchise Program Franchise offering that licenses the Hissho Sushi brand, recipes, training, and operating system to franchisees and venue partners for in-store sushi bar operations.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bornstein SeafoodscoreOthersResponsible sourcing partner for seafood supply, ensuring sustainable and responsibly sourced fish for all Hissho Sushi locations
• Ocean SkycoreOthersResponsible sourcing partner providing sustainably sourced seafood for Hissho Sushi's product offerings
• Thai UnioncoreOthersGlobal responsible sourcing partner for seafood ingredients ensuring sustainable seafood supply chain
• Fly By JingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic brand partnership featuring Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp in specialty sushi rolls like the Sichuan Chili Crisp California Roll
• Franks RedHotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic brand partnership featuring Franks RedHot sauce in specialty items like the Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Roll
• BachansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLimited time brand partnership featuring Bachans products in seasonal menu offerings
• Little MoonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand partnership featuring Little Moons products as part of seasonal or limited time offerings

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bento Sushi: In-store sushi and Asian food bar operator serving supermarkets and convenience stores; comparable franchise-style model and product mix to Hissho's grab-and-go program.
• AFC Sushi (Kura Sushi USA): Through Advance Fresh Concepts, operates sushi bars in supermarkets across the U.S.; a direct competitor for in-store sushi programs and a public-company benchmark for unit economics.
• Genji Sushi: Operates sushi bars inside Whole Foods Market and other grocers under a franchise/hybrid model; shares Hissho's host-retailer sushi-bar concept and B2B ingredient supply angle.
• SnowFox / JFE Franchising: Operates branded sushi and Asian food bars in U.S. grocery stores, including the SnowFox and Sushiya brands; competes head-to-head with Hissho for retailer partnerships and franchisees.
• Mai Sushi: One of the largest U.S. in-store sushi suppliers operating fresh sushi bars inside grocery chains; directly competes with Hissho for supermarket shelf space and franchisees using the same grab-and-go model.

Others

• Thai Union Group: Global seafood supplier and Hissho's responsible-sourcing partner; included as a supplier/ecosystem peer reflecting Hissho's dependence on a small number of upstream partners.
• Bornstein Seafoods: Pacific Northwest seafood processor and Hissho's other named responsible-sourcing partner; an upstream supplier peer reflecting the company's seafood supply structure.

Broad incumbents

• Togos / Sushi Restaurants (e.g., Sushi Roku): Established sushi restaurant chains that compete for consumer sushi occasions; a broader incumbent benchmark for brand awareness rather than a direct in-store sushi competitor.

Emerging players

• True World Foods: Major U.S. seafood distributor that also operates in-store sushi programs; comparable sourcing scale and overlapping customer base of grocers and sushi operators.
• I Love Sushi / Kiosk Operators (regional in-store sushi brands): A fragmented set of regional sushi-bar operators in supermarkets and airports that compete with Hissho at the venue level for limited host-partner slots.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hisshosushi
• Facebookfacebook.com/HisshoSushi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hisshosushi
• Instagraminstagram.com/hisshosushi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hissho Sushi