ACE Sushi

What ACE Sushi does

ACE Sushi, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Torrance, California, is a private franchisor that operates the supermarket-based fresh sushi and Asian fusion kiosk concept. The company's core product is handcrafted sushi prepared on-site by specially-trained chefs, sold through grab-and-go packages and made-to-order items inside grocery stores. Its menu spans 25+ SKUs including classic rolls (California Roll, Spicy Tuna, Salmon), premium rolls (Golden Dragon, Rainbow, Phoenix), poke-style rolls, combo meals, and dietary-specific offerings (Kosher, gluten-free, vegetarian). Underlying operations rely on a centralized training program called ACE University, a network of sustainable-seafood supplier partnerships, and a production capability demonstrated by catering 50,000 pieces of fresh sushi for a single NFL Super Bowl event.

ACE Sushi's business model is franchise-driven: it licenses the ACE brand, operating framework, and training to sushi-chef franchisees who place and operate sushi bars inside supermarkets and grocery retail chains across 1,000+ global locations. The company earns revenue through franchise fees and royalties, with catering for corporate events, weddings, and sporting venues (NFL Super Bowl, PGA Tour) serving as a secondary revenue stream and a high-profile brand marketing channel. The customer base is segmented between supermarket/grocery retail chains hosting the in-store bars, individual health-conscious consumers purchasing grab-and-go meals, and event planners/corporate clients purchasing catering. The company has no app, no digital product surface, no disclosed funding, and operates with a lean corporate headcount of 51–100 employees, indicating a capital-light franchisor model rather than a directly-operated retail chain.

Name

ACE Sushi

Legal name

ACE Sushi

Website

https://acesushi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ACE Sushi is a private sushi franchise founded in 1990 that licenses its in-store supermarket sushi bar concept to chef-franchisees across 1,000+ global grocery locations, with secondary catering for NFL and PGA events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sushi Restaurant Franchise

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Retailers (445250), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

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 franchise operations
• Supermarket sushi kiosks
• Asian fusion cuisine
• Event catering services
• Grab-and-go sushi

Headquarters

HQ city

Torrance

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalty Revenue: ACE Sushi generates revenue through franchise fees from operators who run sushi bars under the ACE brand in supermarket locations. Franchisees pay for the right to use the ACE brand, receive training through ACE University, and operate within the company's established framework.
2. Catering Services: Event catering for major sporting events including NFL Super Bowl and PGA Golf Tour. Produces large volumes of fresh sushi for corporate events, weddings, and parties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ACE Sushi operates a franchise model placing on-site sushi bars inside supermarkets and grocery stores, where specially-trained chefs prepare fresh sushi rolls and Asian fusion items for grab-and-go and made-to-order purchase. The company complements its in-store retail network with large-volume catering services for events such as the NFL Super Bowl and PGA Tour, capable of producing up to 50,000 pieces of fresh sushi for a single event. Its menu addresses Kosher, gluten-free, and vegetarian dietary needs and emphasizes sustainable seafood sourcing.

Product overview

ACE Sushi operates a supermarket-based fresh sushi and Asian fusion cuisine franchise concept established in 1990, offering grab-and-go packaged items and made-to-order sushi rolls prepared by specially-trained chefs. The product portfolio spans over 25 distinct sushi roll varieties including classics like California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, and Golden Dragon Roll, combo meals, and specialty chef creations, complemented by dietary accommodations for Kosher, gluten-free, and vegetarian customers. The company also provides event catering services for major sporting events and franchises its kiosk concept to over 1000 global locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACE Sushi Fresh Sushi Bar Menu (in-store sushi kiosk offering) A chef-prepared fresh sushi and Asian fusion menu sold to supermarket shoppers via on-site kiosks. The menu includes classics (California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, Salmon Roll), signature rolls (Golden Dragon Roll, Rainbow Roll, Phoenix Roll, Dynamite Roll), combo meals (Top Trio, Cali Trio, Big Three, Three of a Kind), poke-style rolls, and dietary accommodations for Kosher, gluten-free, and vegetarian customers. Customers include time-constrained parents and health-conscious grocery shoppers seeking convenient, fresh meals.
• Catering Services Large-scale fresh sushi catering for major sporting events, corporate functions, weddings, birthday parties, office parties, and charity events. Capable of producing up to 50,000 pieces of fresh sushi for a single event. Customers include the NFL (Super Bowl), PGA Tour, corporate event planners, and private party hosts seeking restaurant-quality sushi at volume.
• ACE Sushi Franchise Program Franchise offering for operators seeking to run an ACE Sushi kiosk inside a supermarket, including brand licensing, multi-step application process, ACE University chef training, and grand opening support. Customers are prospective franchise owners (sushi chefs and small business operators), subject to state-specific franchise regulations in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, South Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced 50,000 pieces of fresh sushi for a single event

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• NFL (National Football League)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE Sushi has been the catering partner for the official NFL Super Bowl party organized by the Commissioner for many years. This high-profile partnership serves as a major credibility marker and marketing channel for the brand, demonstrating ACE's ability to produce large-scale, high-quality sushi for prestigious sporting events.
• PGA TourcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE Sushi has catered PGA Golf Tour events, establishing a presence in professional golf catering. This partnership complements the NFL relationship and demonstrates ACE's capability to serve diverse high-profile sporting venues.
• Sustainable Seafood SupplierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE partners with suppliers that share the company's principles of serving customers to the highest degree. Suppliers must demonstrate commitment to quality and consistency. ACE is committed to responsibly sourcing sustainable ingredients directly from the most reputable manufacturers and suppliers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Sushiya: Sushiya is a regional multi-location sushi bar and prepared-food brand; its scale and menu overlap with ACE position it as a comparable sushi retailer in select markets.
• The Sushi Bar (fka Minato Sushi / similar regional concepts): A class of regional, multi-location sushi bar/catering concepts that share ACE's grab-and-go sushi rolls, fusion menu, and event-catering model on a regional basis.

Broad incumbents

• Sweetgreen: Sweetgreen is a leading fast-casual, healthy-eating restaurant chain; it signals the broader consumer shift toward fresh, prepared, in-store foods that ACE is pursuing inside the grocery channel.
• Kura Sushi: Kura Sushi operates a publicly-traded revolving sushi restaurant chain; while not embedded in grocery, it competes for sushi consumer occasions in adjacent trade areas and shares the prepared-sushi category with ACE.
• CAVA Group: CAVA operates Mediterranean fast-casual restaurants emphasizing fresh, customizable meals, illustrating how restaurant-quality prepared-food concepts can compete with in-store supermarket concepts like ACE.

Direct peers

• Snowfox: Snowfox operates franchised in-store sushi kiosks inside major U.S. grocery retailers (e.g., Jewel-Osco, Hannaford), competing head-to-head with ACE for supermarket host locations and consumer sushi share.
• Genji Sushi (Kirin Holdings): Genji places sushi bars and Asian prepared-food service inside Whole Foods Market and other grocery banners; backed by Kirin Holdings, it is the most directly comparable in-store sushi kiosk franchisor to ACE.

Emerging players

• Pokeworks: Pokeworks is a fast-casual poke chain offering Asian-inspired raw seafood bowls; it overlaps with ACE's poke-roll menu items and competes for fresh Asian-seafood occasions inside and outside grocery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AceSushi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ace-sushi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 ACE Sushi