How to Start a Sushi Restaurant

A sushi restaurant may offer other Japanese or Asian cuisine for its customers. It may also provide a special sushi bar so that interested customers can watch as their sushi is prepared. As a business, a sushi restaurant can scale up or down, serving as a small and modest eatery or as a fancier and more expensive restaurant.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.

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Start a sushi restaurant by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Sushi Restaurant
  2. Form your Sushi Restaurant into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Sushi Restaurant for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Sushi Restaurant
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Sushi Restaurant
  7. Get Sushi Restaurant Insurance
  8. Define your Sushi Restaurant Brand
  9. Create your Sushi Restaurant Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your sushi restaurant. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Sushi Restaurant Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state’s business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability

It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a sushi restaurant?

The start-up costs can vary depending on whether you are leasing or purchasing land. If you are leasing land, a median assumption of cost for starting your restaurant is $280,000. The largest parts of this are $140,000 to construct a building, $75,000 for kitchen and bar equipment, and $20,000 for the technology to process orders and payments. It may cost $20,000 or more to provide the relevant furniture you need. Other assorted costs include about $10,000 for your initial food and drink supply and about $12,000 on relevant insurance, licenses, and permits. The first month of utilities will be about $3,000.

What are the ongoing expenses for a sushi restaurant?

Your exact ongoing expenses will vary based on factors such as restaurant location, size, and amount of staff. For instance, you may be paying a $10,000 a month lease, $2,500 a month in utilities, $8,000 a month in food and beverages, and $10,000 a month for the salary of a small staff.

Who is the target market?

It’s a bit obvious, but your best customers will be those who love sushi. These are the customers who will best appreciate the diversity of your menu and the care with which you create the sushi. Additionally, these customers will typically be your best word-of-mouth advertisement.

How does a sushi restaurant make money?

A sushi restaurant makes money by charging customers for the act of preparing and serving sushi. Your restaurant may also make money by selling other dishes and/or selling alcohol.

How much can you charge customers?

While the exact prices may vary, a normal roll of sushi costs an average of $6.50, whereas specialty rolls are an average of $12.60. If your restaurant charges alcohol, those prices will vary based on alcohol type, alcohol amount, and alcohol brand.

How much profit can a sushi restaurant make?

The average profit of a restaurant is a little over $82,000. With that being said, your own profit may be much greater if you offer unique dishes and experiences that your community cannot find anywhere else.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Don’t be afraid to enhance your menu with more dishes, seasonal variations, and signature foods to bring in more customers. Try to throw special parties throughout the year that correspond to national and community events. Finally, try to enhance the services you offer: being willing to offer the sushi equivalent of “curbside to go” for call-in orders will help you get many more customers.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your sushi restaurant is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your sushi restaurant were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Reality?

Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

Federal Business Licensing Requirements

There are federal regulations regarding what can and cannot be added to, sold as, and processed with food. Attached is a resource from the Food and Drug Administration detailing the process of starting a food business: How to Start a Food Business

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a sushi restaurant business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Certificate of Occupancy

A sushi business is generally run out of a restaurant. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

  • If you plan to lease a location:
    • It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
    • Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a sushi restaurant business.
    • After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
  • If you plan to purchase or build a location:
    • You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
    • Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your sushi restaurant business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

Food Regulations

When selling food, you will need licensing from a local health department; all establishments serving food are required to pass a health inspection. Tips for faring well on a health inspections

Liquor Licensing

Businesses involved in the sale of alcoholic beverages are required to obtain a liquor license from the appropriate state or local agency. A comprehensive list of laws by state (including necessary licenses, zoning laws, etc), curated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, is included here.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.

Find out what types of insurance your Sushi Restaurant needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Sushi Restaurant.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a sushi restaurant

Be sure to market your business on social media. Outlets like Facebook make it easy for customers to find information and contact you, while outlets such as Instagram allow you to post pictures that emphasize how beautiful your sushi is. It’s also good to establish a professional website that can house your menu, directions to the restaurant, and other vital information. Within your budget, try to advertise via radio and newspaper when you open, and be sure to throw a special grand opening event.

How to keep customers coming back

Consider implementing some form of customer loyalty program. This makes customers feel valued and keeps them coming back. Try to get local ingredients when you can and advertise this fact: it makes your business seem more connected to the community. Finally, consider using online apps such as Open Table to allow customers to make reservations online. This saves time and is particularly attractive to Millennial customers.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPressWIXWeeblySquarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

Obviously, this business is perfect for those who love sushi. It is also a good fit for anyone who has had restaurant management experience or other related restaurant experience that may help you in serving customers and otherwise running the shop.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a sushi restaurant?

Despite its focus on sushi, the daily activities of this business are similar to those of any restaurant. Any given day is spent receiving and preparing food and drinks, coordinating employees, serving customers, and then cleaning the restaurant at the end of the night. You may use downtime you have to manage money and to advertise your business, especially on social media.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful sushi restaurant?

Like any restaurant, a sushi business is built on its workers. It will help build your business if you are able to recruit managers, servers, and chefs that have experience in the service and sushi industries. Your own previous successes as a manager can help your restaurant succeed quickly, and a knowledge of Japan and Japanese culture can help you make your restaurant feel more “authentic” for your customers.

What is the growth potential for a sushi restaurant?

The growth potential for this business is modest. As an industry, the sushi restaurant revenue grew only 1.2% between 2010 and 2014. However, American consumption of sushi grew 28% in that time, showing an increased public appetite for your restaurant’s specialty.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a sushi restaurant?

Try to hire the best chef your budget can handle; in many ways, the sushi chef is the face and reputation of your restaurant. Try to locate your business in an accessible area that makes it easy for customers to get in and out; sushi is a popular lunch dish, so you want to make it easy for people to eat at your restaurant on their lunch break. Finally, scout out other sushi restaurants in the area, both to figure out things you should try to emulate and to figure out how to make your business stand out.

How and when to build a team

Unlike some businesses, a restaurant will require you to build a full team of hosts, wait staff, chefs, and managers immediately.

Useful Links

Industry Opportunities

Real World Examples

Further Reading