What Kukai does

Kukai is a neo-Japanese restaurant located at Via Chiaia 148 in Naples, Italy, operated by the private Italian limited liability company Iki srl. The business operates as a single full-service restaurant offering lunch and dinner daily, with a 10% service charge, and serves dine-in customers, takeaway orders (minimum €10), and delivery orders (minimum €15, €3 delivery fee, 20% discount above €50). Its menu spans traditional and innovative Japanese cuisine including nigiri, sashimi, uramaki, hosomaki, gunkan, temaki, tempura, Wagyu A5 beef, vegan sushi, noodles, and a curated cocktail, sake, and spirits program.

The digital layer is built on the ShopHop e-commerce platform, which powers Kukai's website for online ordering, table reservations, customer accounts, and checkout. The site is offered as a Progressive Web App (PWA) for mobile installation, and accepts card payments via Stripe as well as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Android Pay, and Amazon Payments. Marketing and reservation channels include the company's own site, Mailchimp email, Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest, Google Analytics, WhatsApp Business, and third-party reservation platforms TheFork.it and Dish.co.

The business operates entirely in Naples with no disclosed expansion, and headcount is listed at 16 employees with no management team publicly identified. Revenue is not disclosed; there are no funding rounds, acquisitions, or corporate structural moves in the dataset.

Name

Kukai

Legal name

Iki srl

Website

https://kukai.it

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kukai is a single-location neo-Japanese restaurant in Naples, Italy, operated by Iki srl, serving dine-in, takeaway, and delivery customers with a premium sushi, sashimi, and Wagyu menu via a ShopHop-powered digital ordering platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

Keywords

• Japanese cuisine
• Sushi restaurant
• Food delivery
• Table reservations
• Neo japanese dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Naples

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining Sales: Revenue from dine-in customers who visit the restaurant for lunch and dinner. The restaurant offers a full menu including sushi, sashimi, tempura, wagyu beef, and other Japanese cuisine items. A 10% service charge is applied.
2. Food Delivery and Takeaway: Revenue from online food orders delivered to customers or picked up at the restaurant. Minimum order values apply: €10 for takeaway, €15 for delivery. The restaurant offers a 20% discount for orders exceeding €50.
3. Table Reservation Deposits: Customers are required to make advance payments for table reservations, which are then discounted from the final bill.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kukai is a single-location NEO Japanese cuisine restaurant in Naples operated by Iki srl, serving traditional and innovative Japanese dishes such as sushi, sashimi, nigiri, uramaki, hosomaki, gunkan, temaki, wagyu A5 beef, tempura, noodles, vegan sushi, signature cocktails, sake, and Japanese spirits. The restaurant combines dine-in table service with an online ordering and delivery platform (powered by ShopHop), click-and-collect takeaway, and an online table reservation system with advance payment.

Product overview

Kukai is a neo-Japanese cuisine restaurant in Naples, Italy, operated by Iki srl. The company offers a unified product ecosystem combining dine-in restaurant services with a digital ordering platform. The core offering includes traditional and innovative Japanese cuisine (sushi, sashimi, wagyu beef, tempura) alongside digital services powered by the ShopHop e-commerce platform. The digital product portfolio comprises: an Online Ordering System for delivery and takeout, a Restaurant Menu with comprehensive offerings and allergen information, a Table Reservation System for booking tables, and a Progressive WebApp for mobile ordering. Food products include multiple sushi varieties (nigiri, sashimi, uramaki, hosomaki, gunkan, temaki), signature specialty rolls, wagyu beef specialties, vegan sushi options, and a selection of Japanese cocktails and spirits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-in Restaurant Service

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration19 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ShopHopcoreTechnology or IntegrationShopHop provides the e-commerce platform powering Kukai's online ordering and delivery operations. The platform handles website management, online ordering system, table reservations, customer accounts, and order processing. ShopHop is identified as the platform powering the restaurant's digital commerce.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe provides payment processing services for online transactions, enabling credit/debit card payments through the Kukai website and checkout system.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayPal and PayPal Carrier Payments provide alternative payment processing options for online orders, including mobile carrier-based payments.
• Mailchimp (The Rocket Science Group)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMailchimp provides email marketing services for customer newsletters, promotional campaigns, and marketing communications. The platform manages contact lists and enables targeted email outreach.
• Facebook (Meta)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFacebook provides social media integration, advertising services including Facebook Ads, similar audience targeting, Facebook Comments, Messenger Customer Chat, and Facebook Analytics for app tracking.
• InstagramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInstagram social authentication and widget integration for brand presence and customer engagement on the social platform.
• PinterestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPinterest integration including Pin It button, Pinterest Ads for advertising campaigns, and Pinterest Tag for conversion tracking.
• Google Analytics and Google Tag ManagercoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Analytics provides web traffic analysis and user behavior tracking. Google Tag Manager manages marketing tags and tracking scripts. Google Ads conversion tracking measures advertising effectiveness.
• TheFork and Dish.cominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party restaurant reservation platforms that drive table bookings to Kukai. Customers can make reservations through these platforms which integrate with WhatsApp for confirmations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Wagamama: Global pan-Asian restaurant brand serving Japanese-inspired noodles, sushi, and curries with dine-in, takeaway, and delivery. Comparable to Kukai in the Japanese-anchored menu, tech-enabled ordering, and casual-to-premium service model, but at global incumbent scale.
• Nobu: Globally recognized Japanese fine-dining brand with full-service restaurants across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia. Comparable to Kukai in premium Japanese cuisine positioning (sushi, sashimi, Wagyu) and a sophisticated cocktail and sake/whisky program, but at much larger international footprint.
• Zuma: Global Japanese izakaya-style upscale restaurant brand operating in major world cities with full table service and an extensive cocktail and sake program. Direct conceptual analogue to Kukai's premium Japanese positioning, modern dining atmosphere, and curated spirits/cocktail menu.
• Hakkasan: Upscale Cantonese- and Japanese-influenced restaurant group with locations worldwide, anchored by an intensive bar, cocktail, and spirits program alongside premium Asian cuisine. Comparable to Kukai in upscale Asian-cuisine positioning, full table service, and substantial beverage-led revenue mix.
• YO! Sushi: UK-headquartered and globally operating Japanese/pan-Asian restaurant chain with dine-in, takeaway, and delivery. Overlaps with Kukai in serving Japanese cuisine to consumers and operating multi-channel digital ordering, but at much greater scale and brand reach.

Direct peers

• Sushi Shop: European sushi chain operating across France, the UK, Switzerland, and Italy with dine-in, takeaway, and delivery. Direct multi-channel peer to Kukai delivering Japanese cuisine through both physical restaurants and a robust online ordering platform.
• Poke House: Italy's largest poke and sushi fast-casual chain with a digital-first, delivery-heavy model built on a similar ShopHop-style online ordering stack. Comparable to Kukai as an Italy-based Asian-cuisine operator leaning on owned e-commerce and multi-channel ordering, though at a faster-casual price point.
• Temakinho: Italian-based sushi and Brazilian-Japanese fusion full-service restaurant chain with dine-in, delivery, and takeaway across Italy and Europe. Directly comparable to Kukai as an established Italian operator serving premium Japanese cuisine with table service and online ordering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kukai

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Kukai