Conveyor-belt sushi operator Kura Sushi has an ambitious target to grow its store count by 20% a year in the U.S., betting that it can build market share before a wave of competitors rolls in.
¡°Growth in Asia has reached a ceiling unless you can expand into China,¡± U.S. operations CEO Hajime Uba said in an interview. ¡°That¡¯s why many Japanese restaurants are looking to North America.¡±
Japanese food chains are relying on overseas markets to power future growth, with a tourism boom helping increase demand as visitors seek out the cuisine when they return home. While Kura Sushi already has an established foothold, opening its first U.S. restaurant in California in 2009, it¡¯s about to face a major test when rival Sushiro enters the market later this year.
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