MakiMaki
MakiMaki is a New York City fast-casual sushi restaurant chain operating four Manhattan locations, using robotics and an assembly-line kitchen system to deliver made-to-order maki rolls and patented handrolls to office workers, corporate catering clients, and nationwide DIY kit buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MakiMaki does
MakiMaki is a New York City-based fast-casual sushi restaurant chain founded in 2017 by Kevin Takarada, a mechanical engineer and son of the founder of Toni's (Miami's first South Beach sushi bar). The company operates four Manhattan locations — Central Park South (2017), Grand Central (2019), Hudson Square, and Financial District / One New York Plaza (2023) — each designed around an in-house assembly line kitchen system with state-of-the-art robotics engineered to mitigate NYC's sushi chef labor shortage. Core products are made-to-order 8-piece maki rolls ("Cutups," $7.95–$18) and cone-shaped handrolls ("Temaki," $5–$12) differentiated by a patented film that keeps the nori crisp until consumption, plus appetizers, custom-blended Honyama matcha teas, and sake/beer.
The company operates a direct-to-consumer model with dine-in, pickup, and delivery at its physical locations, paired with three additional revenue channels: corporate catering (from $15/person via EZCater), private omakase events, and the HomeChef sub-brand — DIY sushi, sashimi, and shabu shabu kits ($110–$270) shipped nationwide through Goldbelly. Primary customers are Midtown office workers and NYC professionals seeking quick, affordable, high-quality sushi, with secondary segments in corporate catering clients and home dining consumers. Marketing is primarily organic — Instagram, Facebook, Yelp — supplemented by earned media coverage in the New York Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, QSR Magazine, and others. MakiMaki is privately held, founder-owned, and operates without disclosed institutional capital, parent company, or subsidiaries.
MakiMaki firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MakiMaki
- Legal name
- MakiMaki
- Website
- https://makimaki.nyc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MakiMaki is a New York City fast-casual sushi restaurant chain operating four Manhattan locations, using robotics and an assembly-line kitchen system to deliver made-to-order maki rolls and patented handrolls to office workers, corporate catering clients, and nationwide DIY kit buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MakiMaki industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fast-casual Japanese sushi restaurant
- NAICS
- Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (311710), Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), 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
Where MakiMaki is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
MakiMaki business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- In-Store Sushi Sales: Sale of sushi cutups (maki rolls) and handrolls at 4 NYC locations for dine-in, pickup, and delivery
- Catering Services: Office catering starting at $15 per person, and private omakase events at homes with delivery
- HomeChef DIY Sushi Kits: Nationwide shipping of make-your-own sushi and sashimi kits through Goldbelly, including premium ingredients like A5 Wagyu
- Beverage Sales: Sale of sake, beer, and matcha beverages alongside food items
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cutup (Maki) Rolls - 8 pieces, priced $7.95-$18 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Handrolls (Temaki) - priced $5.00-$12 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Appetizers and Sides - priced $4.50-$18 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Matcha and Tea - priced $3-$6 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sake and Beer - $7-$8 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering - Office meals starting at $15/person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | HomeChef Sushi Kits - $110-$150 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
MakiMaki product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MakiMaki operates a fast-casual sushi restaurant chain in New York City, selling made-to-order 8-piece Cutups (maki rolls) and patented-film Handrolls (temaki) at four Manhattan locations for dine-in-free service, pickup, and delivery. The core sushi offering is supplemented by appetizers, Honyama-sourced matcha teas, sake and beer, office catering, and a HomeChef sub-brand of DIY sushi and sashimi kits shipped nationwide through Goldbelly.
Product overview
MakiMaki is a fast-casual sushi restaurant chain operating in New York City with four locations (Central Park South, Grand Central, Hudson Square, and Financial District). The company's core product offering consists of made-to-order sushi rolls in two formats: traditional 8-piece Cutups (maki) and cone-shaped Handrolls (temaki) featuring a patented film technology that keeps nori crisp. The Handrolls product line is particularly differentiated by proprietary wrapping technology. MakiMaki supplements its core food offerings with Matcha Teas (custom blended from Honyama), Sake & Beer, and Appetizers. The company also offers Catering Services for corporate events and private omakase experiences. As a separate sub-brand, HomeChef provides DIY Sushi & Sashimi Kits (Standard and Premium versions), Shabu Shabu Kits, and A La Carte fish options available nationwide through Goldbelly. The brand is noted for utilizing state-of-the-art robotics in its kitchen operations to address sushi chef shortages while maintaining quality.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HomeChef: Make Your Own Sushi & Sashimi Kits by MakiMaki, featuring Standard and Premium sushi and sashimi kits, Shabu Shabu kits, and individual fish cuts available for nationwide delivery via Goldbelly.
Quantifiable outcome
- Founded 2017, expanded to 4 locations by 2024
Companies that use MakiMaki
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MakiMaki technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
MakiMaki partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GoldbellycoreGoldbelly is the exclusive nationwide shipping partner for MakiMaki's HomeChef DIY sushi and sashimi kits, enabling consumers outside NYC and Miami to order premium sushi making kits online.
- EZCatercoreEZCater serves as the online ordering platform for MakiMaki's corporate office catering services, offering businesses easy access to catered sushi meals starting at $15 per person.
- Honyama Tea CompanyminorHonyama is an 800-year-old Shizuoka-based tea company that once supplied Shoguns of Japan. MakiMaki features proprietary custom-blended teas and matcha from Honyama, creating a unique beverage offering.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MakiMaki competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Yolanda's NYC: Premium prepared-food and meal-kit brand sold via Goldbelly and similar channels. Comparable to MakiMaki's HomeChef line on premium ingredient positioning and national D2C distribution through curated marketplaces.
Broad incumbents
- Sweetgreen: Tech-enabled fast-casual restaurant chain with a strong urban-professional customer base and an emphasis on operational efficiency and brand-led marketing. Comparable to MakiMaki as a benchmark for scaled fast-casual concepts, though it operates in salads rather than sushi.
- Yo! Sushi: Established conveyor-belt sushi chain with a tech-forward, fast-casual format in major urban markets. Comparable on automation-led sushi service and the same target customer seeking efficient, made-to-order sushi.
- Teriyaki Madness: Fast-casual Asian-flavor franchise targeting lunch-time urban demand with small footprints. Comparable to MakiMaki in fast-casual format, urban-lunch customer base, and small-store throughput model.
- CAVA: Scaled fast-casual chain using customizable bowls for urban professionals. Comparable as a model for fast-casual unit economics, brand-led marketing, and multi-location rollout, though in Mediterranean rather than sushi.
Regional players
- Sushi Yasuda: High-end traditional NYC sushi restaurant. Comparable on NYC sushi-category expertise and premium ingredient sourcing, though operating at full-service premium price points rather than MakiMaki's fast-casual format.
Direct peers
- Dig Inn: NYC-based fast-casual chain focused on seasonal, ingredient-forward lunch bowls for office workers. Closely comparable to MakiMaki on NYC geography, midtown office-worker customer, and fast-casual lunch-daypart positioning.
- Pokeworks: Fast-casual poke and sushi-style chain operating in urban markets with made-to-order customization. Highly comparable to MakiMaki on category, format, target customer (urban professionals), and order-and-assemble operating model.
- Kura Sushi: Technology-forward sushi chain using automation (including conveyor belt and tablet ordering) to deliver affordable sushi at scale. Directly comparable to MakiMaki on automation-driven sushi economics and category.
Others
- Toni's Sushi (Miami): Historic Miami sushi bar opened by the Takarada family. Related as the founder's family business rather than a direct competitor, but relevant context for understanding the founder's domain expertise and brand DNA.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MakiMaki social profiles
Digital presenceMakiMaki financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MakiMaki leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
MakiMaki funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MakiMaki M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MakiMaki
What does MakiMaki do?
MakiMaki operates a fast-casual sushi restaurant chain in New York City, selling made-to-order 8-piece Cutups (maki rolls) and patented-film Handrolls (temaki) at four Manhattan locations for dine-in-free service, pickup, and delivery. The core sushi offering is supplemented by appetizers, Honyama-sourced matcha teas, sake and beer, office catering, and a HomeChef sub-brand of DIY sushi and sashimi kits shipped nationwide through Goldbelly.
Is MakiMaki a public or private company?
MakiMaki is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MakiMaki founded?
MakiMaki was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MakiMaki based?
MakiMaki is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does MakiMaki make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. In-Store Sushi Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, homeChef DIY Sushi Kits and beverage Sales.
Who are MakiMaki's main competitors?
Yolanda's NYC is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Sweetgreen, Yo! Sushi, Teriyaki Madness and CAVA. Sushi Yasuda is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Dig Inn, Pokeworks and Kura Sushi. Toni's Sushi (Miami) is listed as an others.
Does MakiMaki have an API?
No public API is recorded for MakiMaki.
What industry is MakiMaki in?
MakiMaki's product category is Fast-casual Japanese sushi restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAKAD, In-Store Sushi & Asian Prepared Foods, with a secondary code of AFANALAI, Sushi/Sashimi-Grade & Raw Ready-to-Serve Seafood (Including Poke). Its NAICS code is 72251 and its SIC code is 5810.