Tsunami
Tsunami is a privately held, multi-location sushi restaurant chain operating four Louisiana restaurants in Lafayette, Baton Rouge (two), and New Orleans, serving Japanese cuisine fused with South Louisiana ingredients to local diners, corporate clients, and private event hosts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLafayette, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Tsunami does
Tsunami is a privately held, multi-location sushi restaurant chain founded in December 1999 by Michele Ezell and partners (Sean Ezell, Fred Nonato, Toon Nguyen) in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana. The company operates four dine-in restaurants under a unified brand across Louisiana: Lafayette (1999), Baton Rouge at the Shaw Center for the Arts (2005), New Orleans CBD at the Pan American Life Center (2017), and Baton Rouge Highland (2025). The menu centers on traditional Japanese sushi (rolls, nigiri, sashimi) fused with South Louisiana ingredients such as alligator, crawfish, and soft shell crab, complemented by hot entrees, signature cocktails, sake, and Japanese whisky. The brand distinguishes itself through a rotating roster of in-residence sushi masters flown in from Japan and a 4,000 sq ft open-air rooftop terrace at the Baton Rouge Shaw Center location.
Tsunami firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tsunami
- Legal name
- Tsunami
- Website
- https://servingsushi.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tsunami is a privately held, multi-location sushi restaurant chain operating four Louisiana restaurants in Lafayette, Baton Rouge (two), and New Orleans, serving Japanese cuisine fused with South Louisiana ingredients to local diners, corporate clients, and private event hosts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tsunami industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sushi Restaurants
- NAICS
- Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Caterers (72232)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly) (THAFAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialty & Dietary Catering (Halal, Kosher, Vegan, Allergen-Free, Medical) (THAHAKAK)
Keywords
Where Tsunami is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lafayette
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Tsunami business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in food and beverage sales: Core revenue from selling sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi, hot entrees, cocktails, wine, sake, and Japanese whisky to dine-in customers. Menu features standard Japanese items alongside South Louisiana-enhanced dishes incorporating local ingredients like alligator, crawfish, and soft shell crab.
- Catering services: Catering packages for corporate events, birthday parties, holiday parties, rehearsal dinners, and weddings. Available through EZCater platform.
- Private event hosting: Private party room bookings and venue rental for special occasions and corporate gatherings.
- Third-party delivery marketplace: Online ordering through DoorDash, Grubhub, and Waitr delivery platforms for takeaway orders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sushi rolls - standard offerings |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Nigiri sushi - per piece |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Signature cocktails |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour specials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bento Box lunch special |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Tsunami product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tsunami operates a multi-location sushi restaurant chain across Louisiana serving Japanese cuisine with Southern Louisiana influences. The company offers sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi, hot entrees (grilled fish, chicken, pork), signature cocktails, sake, Japanese whisky, and Asian-fusion dishes incorporating local Louisiana ingredients such as alligator, crawfish, and soft shell crab. It complements dine-in service with catering packages, private event hosting, sushi-making classes, and a happy hour program.
Product overview
Tsunami is a multi-location sushi restaurant chain operating under a unified brand across Louisiana, offering Japanese cuisine with Southern Louisiana influences. The core product is fresh sushi and signature cocktails, complemented by catering services, private event hosting, and periodic sushi-making classes. The company operates four primary locations: Lafayette (opened 1999), Baton Rouge Downtown (opened 2005), New Orleans CBD (opened 2017), and Highland Baton Rouge (opened 2025), each providing the full menu of sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi, specialty dishes, and an extensive beverage program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sushi and Rolls Traditional Japanese sushi including maki rolls, nigiri, and sashimi with Louisiana-inspired variations featuring local ingredients like crawfish, alligator, and soft shell crab. Sold to dine-in and delivery customers across all four Louisiana locations.
- Signature Cocktails and Beverages Extensive cocktail menu featuring Japanese whisky, sake flights, signature cocktails (e.g., Hunk, Haiku), martinis, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic options, paired with a daily Happy Hour program.
- Catering Services Full-service catering for events including birthday parties, holiday gatherings, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, and wedding celebrations, available across all locations and via EZCater.
- Private Event Hosting Private party room bookings and event space rentals for special occasions including rehearsal dinners, corporate events, intimate gatherings, and larger celebrations across Tsunami restaurant locations.
- Sushi-Making Classes Hands-on sushi-making instruction classes offered periodically throughout the year, available in-house at Tsunami or offsite for groups.
- Happy Hour Program
Companies that use Tsunami
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Tsunami technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature1 record
Tsunami partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- OpenTablecoreOnline reservation system integration allowing customers to book tables at all Tsunami locations through the OpenTable platform
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tsunami competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bonefish Grill: National chain focused on seafood with full bar and upscale-casual positioning. Comparable experience tier and seafood-forward menu emphasis, though lacking Tsunami's sushi specialization.
- Benihana: Long-established Japanese steakhouse/sushi chain with national footprint. Indirectly competes for Japanese dining occasions and special-occasion dining, though anchored by teppanyaki table experience.
- P.F. Chang's: Large national Asian cuisine chain with broad menu including sushi, wok dishes, and cocktails. Competitor for Asian cuisine dining occasions but operates at much larger scale and broader positioning than Tsunami.
Direct peers
- Blue Sushi Sake Grill: Multi-location sushi restaurant chain with a strong sustainability positioning and a sake/cocktail program. Comparable scale, menu structure, and full-service experience to Tsunami.
- Kura Sushi: Japan-based sushi chain operating in the U.S. via revolving conveyor belt and tech-driven ordering. Competes for the same sushi-eating occasions and demographic, though with a more novelty-driven, value-priced model.
- Sushi Zushi: Texas-based regional sushi chain with multiple locations across the southern U.S. Comparable concept spanning traditional Japanese sushi, sashimi, and Asian-inspired entrees in a full-service setting similar to Tsunami.
- RA Sushi: Casual sushi and Asian fusion chain with multiple U.S. locations offering a similar lineup of rolls, nigiri, cocktails, and happy hour programs. Operates at comparable price points and ambiance to Tsunami's full-service sushi restaurants.
- Kona Grill: U.S. chain offering sushi, Asian-inspired dishes, cocktails, and happy hour in a polished-casual setting. Highly comparable menu, pricing, and full-service dining experience to Tsunami.
Regional players
- Drago's Seafood Restaurant: Iconic Louisiana-based seafood restaurant known for charbroiled oysters. Operates in the same Louisiana regional market and competes for fine-dining seafood occasions, though anchored in Italian-Creole seafood rather than sushi.
Emerging players
- Yummy House: Asian fusion restaurant group with multiple locations in the southeastern U.S. Comparable Southeast regional footprint and Asian cuisine positioning, though broader menu focus across Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian cuisines.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tsunami social profiles
Digital presenceTsunami financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tsunami leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Tsunami funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tsunami 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 Tsunami
What does Tsunami do?
Tsunami operates a multi-location sushi restaurant chain across Louisiana serving Japanese cuisine with Southern Louisiana influences. The company offers sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi, hot entrees (grilled fish, chicken, pork), signature cocktails, sake, Japanese whisky, and Asian-fusion dishes incorporating local Louisiana ingredients such as alligator, crawfish, and soft shell crab. It complements dine-in service with catering packages, private event hosting, sushi-making classes, and a happy hour program.
Is Tsunami a public or private company?
Tsunami is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Tsunami founded?
Tsunami was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tsunami based?
Tsunami is headquartered in Lafayette, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tsunami make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dine-in food and beverage sales are the primary driver. The others are catering services, private event hosting and third-party delivery marketplace.
Who are Tsunami's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bonefish Grill, Benihana and P.F. Chang's. Direct peers are Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Kura Sushi, Sushi Zushi, RA Sushi and Kona Grill. Drago's Seafood Restaurant is listed as a regional player. Yummy House is listed as an emerging player.
Does Tsunami have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tsunami.
What industry is Tsunami in?
Tsunami's product category is Sushi Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAIAK, Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly), with a secondary code of THAHAKAK, Specialty & Dietary Catering (Halal, Kosher, Vegan, Allergen-Free, Medical). Its NAICS code is 72251.