What Sumo Sushi & Bento does

Sumo Sushi & Bento is a Dubai-headquartered Japanese casual dining restaurant chain founded in 2000, operating under parent Sumo International Inc. with Julianne Holt-Kailihiwa as CEO and President. It serves sushi, bento boxes, poke bowls, ramen, and premium A5 Wagyu items, with a 100+ dish menu and price points ranging from AED 10 to AED 120+. The brand runs 9 Dubai locations plus units in Bahrain (2) and Cyprus (1), with franchises 'sold out' across the GCC and active international rollout underway into India, the USA, Mexico, Turkey, and the Levant. Revenue is generated from dine-in, takeaway, delivery (own mobile app, ChatFood web ordering, and Talabat), corporate and private catering (Itamae brand), and franchise fees ($35,000 USD per unit, 5% royalty, 2% marketing, 1% technology). Underlying technology includes the proprietary Dojo intranet for franchise operations and training, a Sumo Mobile App with Kenji Coins loyalty rewards powered by Loyaltyplant SaaS, and POS-integrated online ordering. The company has won multiple regional awards (MEA 2018, DSES 2018, Loyalty360 Gold 2019, Cyprus Takeout Awards 2021) and pursues an asset-light growth model anchored by master franchise partnerships rather than direct capital deployment.

Name

Sumo Sushi & Bento

Legal name

Sumo Sushi & Bento

Website

https://sumosushibento.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sumo Sushi & Bento is a Dubai-based Japanese casual dining chain operating 12+ company and franchise outlets across the UAE, Bahrain, and Cyprus, selling sushi, bento, poke bowls, and catering while franchising globally through Sumo International Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Asian Fast Casual (Pan-Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean) (THAFABAE)

Keywords

• Japanese restaurant dining
• Sushi and bento
• Poke bowls ramen
• Japanese catering services
• Restaurant franchise opportunities

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue from customers dining in at restaurant locations across UAE, Bahrain, and Cyprus. Wide range of menu items including sushi rolls, bento boxes, noodle dishes, poke bowls, ramen, and premium A5 Wagyu offerings. Multiple price points from AED 10 to AED 120+ per item.
2. Delivery and Takeaway: Revenue from takeaway and delivery orders placed via mobile app, website, or third-party delivery platforms. Contact-free delivery option available. Some items marked as not available for delivery (e.g., Green Tea Ice Cream).
3. Catering Services: Japanese cuisine catering for all occasions including office meetings, parties, and home events. Features personal sushi chefs at events. Available across all UAE outlets. Contact via +971 56 474 5569 or [email protected].
4. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Sumo Sushi & Bento has usual and customary fees for joining their franchise system. Franchise fee of $35,000 USD per unit for 3-5 unit signing. Ongoing royalty fee of 5%, Marketing/National Ad Fund fee of 2%, and Technology fee of 1%.
5. Franchise Development Fees: Revenue from area developers and master franchisees acquiring rights for regions. Pre-nup phase involves reviewing the region and opportunity for success. Letter of Intent signed with franchise deposit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sumo Sushi & Bento operates Japanese casual dining restaurants serving a 100+ dish menu including sushi rolls, bento boxes, poke bowls, ramen, noodle dishes, and premium A5 Wagyu items through dine-in, takeaway, and delivery across the UAE, Bahrain, and Cyprus. The company complements its restaurants with Japanese catering services (Itamae Catering) featuring personal sushi chefs for events, a mobile loyalty app with Kenji Coins rewards, and a global franchise program that licenses its brand and operating system to area developers and master franchisees.

Product overview

Sumo Sushi & Bento is a Japanese restaurant chain offering dine-in, takeaway, and delivery services across the UAE, GCC, and expanding globally. The company operates a portfolio of products including signature sushi (Samurai, Sushi Sandwich, Signature Rolls), bento boxes, poke bowls, noodle dishes, and premium A5 Wagyu offerings. Supporting infrastructure includes the proprietary Dojo operational management system, a mobile loyalty app with Kenji Coins rewards, online ordering platform, and catering services. The brand has pioneered limited-edition luxury products like the Gold Sushi Box and innovative collaborations such as the Fashion Meal with Josh Yugen. The company also offers a comprehensive franchise program for global expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sumo Club: The brand's loyalty rewards program, accessible via the Sumo mobile app, where customers earn Kenji Coins on purchases and unlock exclusive discounts, free items, and birthday rewards.
• Kenji Coins
• Itamae Catering

Products and services

• Sushi Rolls and Signature Sushi Items Signature sushi rolls including the Samurai, Sushi Sandwich (fresh minced tuna and salmon with crispy tempura, spicy mayo and tobiko), and an extended range of traditional and fusion rolls offered to dine-in, takeaway, and delivery customers.
• Bento Boxes Signature meal boxes available in Classic (Teriyaki Chicken, Garlic Prawn, Chicken Katsu, BBQ) and Supreme (Chili Prawn, Tuna Lovers, Nigiri Maki, Tempura, Salmon Teriyaki, Salmon Lovers) varieties, served with rice and vegetables.
• Poke Bowls Hawaiian-style poke rice bowls made to order with choice of rice, fish, and sauce, including The Duke, Samurai Poke, Cali Poke, Lawai'a Bowl, and Suji (protein-packed quinoa bowl).
• Premium A5 Wagyu Selection Luxury menu section featuring premium A5 Wagyu beef items including Gyudon, Burger, Donburi, Gyoza, Nigiri, Sakura Roll, and Steak Roll, representing the highest quality Japanese beef on the menu.
• Sushi Platters Ready-to-share platter selections including Samurai Tray, Salmon & Tuna Tray, Urumaki Tray, Yushi Tray, Chef's Special Tray, Musashimaru Special, and Super California Tray, designed for group dining occasions.
• Kids Choice Menu Specialized children's menu featuring kid-friendly options including Teriyaki Chicken, Chicken Nuggets, and Prawn Tempura, all served with fresh sliced fruits, a choice of drink, and one scoop of ice cream.
• Gold Sushi Box UAE's first luxury sushi box featuring 48 pieces of sushi rolls with 6 pieces wrapped in edible 22 karat gold, representing an ultra-premium limited edition offering.
• Fashion Meal (Dark Samurai) by Josh Yugen First-ever food x fashion collaboration meal created with Dubai-based influencer and fashion entrepreneur Josh Yugen, Editor-in-Chief of Xpedition Magazine Middle East, branded as the Dark Samurai: The Fashion Meal.
• Blazing Fire Sushi Rolls Sushi rolls offered in three levels of spiciness (mild, spicy, and extreme), launched across three UAE locations as a limited menu addition.
• Matsuri Box and Ramen Festival Menu Seasonal festival menu featuring a dozen traditional Japanese ramen versions with authentic and innovative fusion options (e.g., Birria Ramen, Cheese Ramen) and a unique Matsuri Box, launched during the 2023 Ramen Festival.
• Sumo Mobile App and Kenji Coins Loyalty Program (Sumo Club) Mobile application enabling customers to earn Kenji Coins through the Rewards Club, access exclusive discounts, order directly, book tables, and receive push notifications about promotions. Available on Apple App Store and Google Play.
• Online Ordering (Direct Delivery) Direct online ordering platform allowing customers to order sushi delivery to their doorstep seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with contact-free delivery and nutritional analysis including calorie counts and allergen information.
• Itamae Catering (Japanese Catering Services) Japanese catering service featuring personal sushi chefs, custom menus or popular set catering menu options, available for business meetings, executive luncheons, special occasions, and pre-event gatherings across UAE outlets.
• Sumo Sushi & Bento Franchise Program Global franchising opportunity offering an innovative, family-friendly sushi franchise with comprehensive support including site selection, build out, operations, marketing, accounting, and customer service. Franchise fee of $35,000 USD per unit for 3-5 units, with 5% royalty, 2% marketing, and 1% technology fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Loyalty360 Award Gold for Best Customer Loyalty Strategy (2019) - recognized for loyalty program effectiveness
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Al Mona Enterprises Ltd.flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Strategic partnership as local franchise partner for European market expansion. Sumo Sushi & Bento signed agreement with Al Mona Enterprises Ltd. to enter the European market. First outlet opened in Cyprus in 2020 with vision to add another 3 outlets within five years across the region.
• FranGlobalflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2019Strategic franchise partnership for Indian market expansion. FranGlobal, one of India's leading franchise consultancies, as strategic partner for Sumo Sushi & Bento chain within the Indian market. Under this international expansion strategy, Sumo plans to open 30 new outlets across major cities in India within five years. First location planned for Delhi or Mumbai within six months of signing.
• Apparel GroupflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Partnership with Apparel Group to open 20 additional outlets across the GCC. Sumo to double its GCC presence from 20 to 40 outlets through this deal. Apparel Group operates multiple retail and F&B brands across the Middle East.
• Loyaltyplant / LoyaltyPlant (Loyaltyplant LTD and Loyaltyplant LLC)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019SaaS mobile loyalty platform partner powering Sumo's Kenji Coins rewards program. Won Loyalty360 Award Gold for Best Customer Loyalty Strategy (2019) through this partnership. Loyaltyplant provides platform for loyalty program management, data analytics, and mobile app functionality. Data stored on Hetzner Online GmbH cloud servers in Germany.
• Josh YugenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019UAE's first-ever food x fashion collaboration. Partnership with Dubai-based influencer, entrepreneur, and fashion magazine editor Josh Yugen (founder of Yugen PR and Editor-in-Chief of Xpedition Magazine). Launched the 'Dark Samurai: The Fashion Meal' - a unique culinary and fashion crossover.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Busaba Eathai: UK-based Thai/Asian casual dining chain with multiple locations and a delivery business. Comparable to Sumo for its Asian-casual positioning, dine-in-plus-delivery model, and urban-location customer demographic.
• Wok Box Fresh Asian Kitchen: Canadian pan-Asian fast-casual franchise chain. Comparable to Sumo for its Asian-casual menu breadth (sushi, bento, noodles, poke) and franchise-driven growth model targeting new international markets.
• Teriyaki Madness: US-based Asian fast-casual franchise system with 100+ units. Highly comparable to Sumo as an Asian-casual franchise concept scaling internationally through a multi-unit franchise model with similar unit economics.
• Sushi Art: UAE-headquartered Japanese restaurant group with multiple locations in Dubai and the GCC. Operates in the same cities and same sushi/Japanese casual-dining category as Sumo, competing for the same expatriate and tourist customer base.
• Wagamama: Global pan-Asian fast-casual chain with strong presence in the Middle East including UAE. Closely matches Sumo's Asian casual-dining model, dine-in-plus-delivery model, and franchise-led international expansion strategy.
• Yo! Sushi: UK-based Japanese fast-casual sushi chain operating internationally with conveyor-belt service. Directly comparable to Sumo as a multi-country Japanese casual dining franchise targeting similar customer demographics and price points.
• Wasabi: UK sushi and bento brand with multiple London locations and international franchising. Comparable to Sumo for its sushi/bento box menu format, value-to-premium price spread, and franchised international growth strategy.

Broad incumbents

• P.F. Chang's: Global Asian casual-dining chain with presence in the Middle East. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the Asian casual-dining category, though it operates at higher price points and a full-service model versus Sumo's fast-casual positioning.

Regional players

• Itacho Sushi: Hong Kong-based Japanese sushi chain focused on the APAC region. Comparable to Sumo for its conveyor-belt/casual sushi format and franchise-based international ambitions, though primarily serves Asian geographies rather than the Middle East.
• Sushi Factory: UAE-based sushi restaurant chain competing directly in the Dubai market. Comparable to Sumo as a domestic sushi competitor targeting similar expatriate and family demographics in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sumosushibento
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8XW3gQJk Chichannels
• Facebookfacebook.com/sumosushibento
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sumo-international-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/sumosushibento

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Sumo Sushi & Bento