Tsunami

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.

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

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

• Sushi restaurants
• Japanese cuisine
• Asian fusion dining
• Catering services
• Private event hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Catering services: Catering packages for corporate events, birthday parties, holiday parties, rehearsal dinners, and weddings. Available through EZCater platform.
3. Private event hosting: Private party room bookings and venue rental for special occasions and corporate gatherings.
4. Third-party delivery marketplace: Online ordering through DoorDash, Grubhub, and Waitr delivery platforms for takeaway orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OpenTablecoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/TsunamiNOLA
• Facebookfacebook.com/934256233322192
• Instagraminstagram.com/tsunamihighlandbr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Tsunami