Slurping Turtle
Slurping Turtle is a privately held Japanese restaurant operating dine-in locations in Ann Arbor, MI and Columbus, OH, serving ramen with in-house noodles, sushi, poke bowls, bao, and sake, plus catering for local consumers and corporate clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersAnn Arbor, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Slurping Turtle does
Slurping Turtle is a privately held Japanese restaurant concept that operates dine-in locations in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Columbus, Ohio. The concept was founded in Chicago in 2011, expanded to Ann Arbor in 2014, and opened its Columbus restaurant at Easton Town Center (4049 Worth Ave) in December 2020. The menu centers on ramen prepared with noodles made in-house, complemented by sushi/sashimi, poke bowls, bao buns, stir-fry dishes, craft cocktails, an extensive sake list, beer, wine, and a children's menu. The brand positions itself as a blend of traditional Japanese cuisine and chef-driven interpretation, supported by earned media coverage in regional outlets such as Columbus Underground, 10 WBNS TV, Eater Detroit, MLive, and Hour Detroit.
The revenue model relies on a direct-to-consumer approach through two physical restaurants, augmented by phone and online takeout orders, a DoorDash delivery partnership at the Ann Arbor location, and a catering and private events service at both units. Pricing is positioned in the mid-range for Japanese cuisine (ramen $17-$21, specialty rolls $17-$20, cocktails $10-$14, sashimi plates $30-$45). Marketing is concentrated in organic social media (separate Ann Arbor and Columbus Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts), an email newsletter for specials and events, and earned media. Customer segments include local residents, University of Michigan students in Ann Arbor, and corporate/event catering clients across both markets. There is no subscription, contract, or committed-volume pricing anywhere in the model.
The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, external funding rounds, parent company, or acquisition activity, and no proprietary technology stack beyond standard restaurant infrastructure. The original Chicago location opened in 2011 is not listed in the current operating footprint, indicating the concept has consolidated around two Midwestern units. No revenue, headcount, or unit-economics data is publicly disclosed, and there are no signals of near-term new unit openings, leadership changes, or strategic transactions.
Slurping Turtle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Slurping Turtle
- Legal name
- Slurping Turtle
- Website
- https://slurpingturtle.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Slurping Turtle is a privately held Japanese restaurant operating dine-in locations in Ann Arbor, MI and Columbus, OH, serving ramen with in-house noodles, sushi, poke bowls, bao, and sake, plus catering for local consumers and corporate clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Slurping Turtle industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Japanese Restaurant Casual Dining
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)
Keywords
Where Slurping Turtle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ann Arbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Slurping Turtle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue generated from customers dining at physical restaurant locations. Menu includes ramen, sushi, bao, stir-fry, poke bowls, craft cocktails, sake, beer, and desserts.
- Takeout and To-Go Orders: Revenue from phone orders and online ordering through DoorDash platform for takeout and delivery.
- Catering and Private Events: Catering services for on-site and off-site events in Ann Arbor and Columbus locations. Contact via [email protected].
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Regular menu items priced individually |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Slurping Turtle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Slurping Turtle operates Japanese ramen and sushi restaurants serving homemade ramen, sushi and nigiri, sashimi, poke bowls, bao steamed buns, stir-fry dishes, craft cocktails, sake, beer, and desserts across dine-in locations in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Columbus, Ohio. The restaurants also offer takeout, DoorDash delivery, and on-site and off-site catering services for events.
Product overview
Slurping Turtle is a Japanese restaurant chain offering a unified dining experience centered on traditional ramen, sushi, and related Japanese cuisine. The product portfolio includes ramen dishes (made with housemade noodles), sushi/nigiri/sashimi, poke bowls, bao (steamed buns), stir-fry dishes, craft cocktails and sake, a kids menu, and catering services. The restaurants operate in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Columbus, Ohio, with the concept originally founded in Chicago in 2011. No modular or platform architecture applies as this is a food service/hospitality business rather than a software product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ramen
Companies that use Slurping Turtle
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Slurping Turtle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Slurping Turtle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- DoorDashminorDoorDash partnership for delivery services at the Ann Arbor location. Customers can order Slurping Turtle through the DoorDash platform for home delivery.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Slurping Turtle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Noodles & Company: Multi-concept fast-casual chain offering noodle bowls globally inspired. Comparable on noodle-bowl category leadership and dine-in/takeout/delivery omnichannel model, though with much broader cuisine.
- P.F. Chang's: National Asian full-service chain with broad sushi, noodle, and cocktail menus. Overlaps with Slurping Turtle's Japanese/Asian menu and bar program but at significantly larger scale and broader cuisine scope.
- RA Sushi: Multi-unit sushi and Asian-fusion chain with full bar programs. Comparable to Slurping Turtle's sushi and craft cocktail offering at a broader scale, positioning RA as a larger incumbent in the same category.
Direct peers
- Marugame Udon: Japanese noodle specialist with open-kitchen, fast-casual positioning and made-to-order noodles. Comparable to Slurping Turtle's Japanese noodle craft focus and casual-dining price tier.
- Jinya Ramen Bar: Growing ramen-focused casual chain known for housemade noodles and a Japanese izakaya-style menu. Most directly comparable to Slurping Turtle on core product (ramen), service model, and price points ($15-20 mains).
- Wagamama: Asian noodle and ramen-focused casual dining chain with dine-in and delivery. Directly comparable on noodle-centric menu, full-service format, and price points.
- Pokeworks: National poke-bowl chain offering customizable bowls over rice or greens in the $14-18 range. Directly comparable to Slurping Turtle's poke bowl menu ($17-22) and casual-dining format.
- Teriyaki Madness: Fast-casual Japanese franchise serving bowls, noodles, and rice plates in a similar price band. Comparable Japanese casual-dining model and dine-in/takeout/delivery channel mix.
- Kura Sushi: Tech-enabled sushi chain with broad nigiri and specialty roll menus. Overlaps with Slurping Turtle on sushi/sashimi core offering, although Kura operates a conveyor/kiosk format versus Slurping Turtle's full-service model.
Regional players
- Kobe Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi: Regional Japanese operator with hibachi and sushi programs across the Midwest. Comparable on Japanese menu breadth and Midwest geographic overlap, though heavier on hibachi than Slurping Turtle.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Slurping Turtle social profiles
Digital presenceSlurping Turtle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Slurping Turtle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Slurping Turtle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Slurping Turtle 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 Slurping Turtle
What does Slurping Turtle do?
Slurping Turtle operates Japanese ramen and sushi restaurants serving homemade ramen, sushi and nigiri, sashimi, poke bowls, bao steamed buns, stir-fry dishes, craft cocktails, sake, beer, and desserts across dine-in locations in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Columbus, Ohio. The restaurants also offer takeout, DoorDash delivery, and on-site and off-site catering services for events.
Is Slurping Turtle a public or private company?
Slurping Turtle is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Slurping Turtle founded?
Slurping Turtle was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Slurping Turtle based?
Slurping Turtle is headquartered in Ann Arbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Slurping Turtle make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are takeout and To-Go Orders and catering and Private Events.
Who are Slurping Turtle's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Noodles & Company, P.F. Chang's and RA Sushi. Direct peers are Marugame Udon, Jinya Ramen Bar, Wagamama, Pokeworks, Teriyaki Madness and Kura Sushi. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi is listed as a regional player.
Does Slurping Turtle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Slurping Turtle.
What industry is Slurping Turtle in?
Slurping Turtle's product category is Japanese Restaurant Casual Dining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAE, Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.