Sushi Circle Gastronomie Gmbh

What Sushi Circle Gastronomie Gmbh does

Sushi Circle Gastronomie Gmbh is a German sushi retail and restaurant operator, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Neu Isenburg, that pioneered the introduction of the sushi conveyor belt (Sushi-Band/kaiten) concept to Germany and has operated continuously for over 25 years. The company's core business consists of hand-rolled sushi and Asian-inspired dishes sold through more than 200 in-store pick-up kiosks located within major German supermarket chains — including Edeka, Kaufland, Rewe, Famila, Tegut, and Marktkauf — serving individual consumers seeking fresh sushi for daily meals, party occasions, and on-the-go consumption. In parallel, Sushi Circle operates a standalone full-service restaurant at Katharinenstraße 6-8 in Leipzig offering dine-in service, sushi cooking courses, special dining experiences (such as 'Zeit zu Zweit'), and home delivery via Lieferando.de.

The product portfolio centers on daily-prepared sushi rolls and tiered party combinations, with a current seasonal Mexican-inspired line (Chicken Mexican Roll/Mix/Fiesta/Poke and Salmon Mexican Roll/Mix/Fiesta variants), vegetarian options (Veggy Pur, Veggy Time Party), and group-occasion packages (Easy Party, For Friends Party, Family Party, Deluxe Party, Sushi for Two). A newly launched 'Sushi Push Pop' format targets convenience-oriented, on-the-go consumption. The business model combines retail kiosk sales, online pick-up ordering via pickup.sushi-circle.de, restaurant dining revenue, third-party delivery commissions, and ancillary services including cooking courses, gift vouchers, and a reloadable Sushi Card loyalty product. Marketing is conducted almost entirely through organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok) and the company website.

Sushi Circle is a privately held German Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH) with no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, external investors, or funding history. It operates exclusively within Germany with no international footprint. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Strategic positioning rests on first-mover brand recognition in the German sushi retail category combined with an unusually broad supermarket distribution footprint; this same channel dependency on a concentrated set of large German retailers constitutes the principal structural concentration risk for the business.

Name

Sushi Circle Gastronomie Gmbh

Legal name

Sushi Circle Gastronomie Gmbh

Website

https://sushi-circle.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sushi Circle Gastronomie Gmbh operates over 200 sushi pick-up kiosks inside major German supermarket chains (Edeka, Kaufland, Rewe, Famila, Tegut, Marktkauf) plus a standalone restaurant in Leipzig, selling hand-rolled sushi, party boxes, poke bowls, and on-the-go formats to German consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sushi Restaurant Chain

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Store Sushi & Asian Prepared Foods (CRAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Prepared Foods & Catering-Focused Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAM)

Keywords

• Sushi restaurant chain
• Sushi retail kiosks
• Fresh sushi delivery
• Japanese cuisine catering
• Supermarket sushi bar

Headquarters

HQ city

Neu Isenburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sushi Retail Sales: Fresh sushi products sold through in-store kiosks located in supermarkets, including individual rolls, party boxes, and poke bowls for immediate consumption or take-home.
2. Pick-up and Delivery Orders: Online ordering system for pick-up at store locations and delivery via third-party platform lieferando.de.
3. Cooking Courses: Local sushi cooking courses offered at restaurant locations for hands-on sushi preparation experiences.
4. Gift Vouchers and Sushi Cards: Gift voucher and loyalty card sales for repeat customers and gifting purposes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sushi Circle Gastronomie GmbH sells hand-rolled sushi and Asian-inspired dishes — including rolls, nigiri, maki, poke bowls, party platters and the on-the-go 'Sushi Push Pop' — through over 200 in-store kiosks located in major German supermarket chains, standalone restaurant locations, cooking courses, gift vouchers, a reloadable Sushi Card, online pick-up ordering, and third-party delivery via Lieferando.

Product overview

Sushi Circle is a German sushi restaurant and food service chain operating since 1998, known for bringing the sushi conveyor belt (kaiten) concept to Germany. The company offers hand-rolled sushi products through multiple channels: (1) Pick-Up Shops located within partner supermarkets (Kaufland, Edeka, Rewe, Famila, Tegut, Marktkauf, and others) across Germany, (2) full-service restaurant locations, and (3) delivery services. Their core product portfolio centers on sushi rolls and party combinations including the Mexican-inspired Chicken and Salmon Mexican series (Roll, Mix, Fiesta, Poke), vegetarian options (Veggy Pur, Veggy Time Party), and various party packages (Deluxe, Family, For Friends, Easy Party, Sushi for Two). The company also offers ancillary services such as cooking courses, gift vouchers, and a Sushi Card. The business model combines retail supermarket presence with restaurant services, positioning itself as the 'original' sushi chain in Germany with over 25 years of experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 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, major and minor.

• KauflandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retail partnership where Sushi Circle operates in-store kiosks within Kaufland supermarkets across Germany. One of the primary distribution channels for the brand's retail sushi products.
• EdekacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExtensive partnership with Edeka supermarket chain where Sushi Circle operates multiple in-store locations throughout Germany under various Edeka brands including E-Center and independent Edeka stores.
• RewecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Rewe supermarket chain including Rewe Center, Rewe City, and Rewe partner stores where Sushi Circle operates sushi kiosks in various German cities.
• FamilamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Famila hypermarket chain operating Sushi Circle kiosks in northern Germany.
• TegutmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Tegut supermarket chain for Sushi Circle in-store locations, primarily in central Germany.
• MarktkaufmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Marktkauf hypermarket chain for Sushi Circle locations in various German regions.
• Lieferando.deminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partnership for restaurant location delivery service in Leipzig area.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Lieferando (Just Eat Takeaway): Lieferando is Sushi Circle's listed third-party delivery partner for its Leipzig restaurant, but more broadly it is a marketplace aggregating many sushi and Asian food competitors. It is relevant as the channel infrastructure through which much of Germany's fresh sushi delivery demand is intermediated.

Emerging players

• Dean & David: Dean & David operates German/European quick-service restaurants focused on bowls, salads and Asian-influenced fresh food including poke. It overlaps with Sushi Circle's poke bowl line and fresh, ingredient-driven positioning, though it is primarily an owned-store restaurant brand.
• Poké You: Poké You is a German poke-bowl chain competing for the same health-conscious, Asian-fusion consumer that Sushi Circle targets with its poke bowl SKUs. It represents the broader restaurant/bowl format that dilutes share of stomach for fresh Asian retail sushi.

Direct peers

• Sushi Company: Sushi Company operates sushi takeaway and delivery counters in German supermarkets, with a similar fresh-prepared, multi-banner presence. It targets the same consumer need (grab-and-go sushi) via comparable retail channels.
• Natsu Sushi: Natsu Sushi runs fresh sushi counters inside German supermarkets and food retailers, positioned as a direct alternative to Sushi Circle for consumers looking for in-store prepared sushi in supermarket kiosks.
• Yakura Sushi: Yakura is a sushi takeaway and delivery brand in Germany operating counters and delivery kitchens in supermarket-adjacent locations, closely matching Sushi Circle's fresh-sushi grab-and-go proposition.
• Moshi Moshi Sushi: Moshi Moshi operates in-store sushi counters and sushi takeaway locations across Germany, directly overlapping Sushi Circle's grab-and-go and party-box offerings inside supermarket banners.
• Eat Happy / convince: Eat Happy is the largest direct competitor operating sushi and Asian food kiosks inside German supermarkets (Edeka, Rewe, Kaufland, etc.). It uses the same in-supermarket grab-and-go model as Sushi Circle and competes directly for the same retailer shelf space and consumer occasions.
• Daily Sushi: Daily Sushi is a Germany-based sushi takeaway concept placed inside supermarkets and food retail locations, competing with Sushi Circle on price, freshness and product range in the same retail environment.

Broad incumbents

• Nordsee: Nordsee is a long-established German fast-food/QSR chain with a strong seafood menu including sushi. It serves a similar German consumer looking for quick, retail-adjacent seafood meals, but on a much broader menu and standalone locations rather than in-supermarket kiosks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SushiCircle
• Instagraminstagram.com/sushicircle/?hl=de
• TikToktiktok.com/@sushi_circle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sushi-circle-gastronomie-gmbh

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 Sushi Circle Gastronomie Gmbh