Genki Sushi
to expand

The chain will add outlets here
and enter new cities on the mainland

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By Tim Ruel
truel@starbulletin.com

The Japan-based owner of Oahu's three Genki Sushi outlets plans to expand the chain in Hawaii and enter new cities on the U.S. mainland during the next few years.

Genki Sushi Co., a major chain known for its automated conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, hopes to build on its experience navigating through Hawaii's rough economic times.

Genki Sushi plans to open up to seven new restaurants on the West Coast in the next three to four years, said Lance Yamamoto, vice president of Genki Sushi Hawaii Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Genki Sushi Co. The new outlets will the first company-owned eateries for Genki Sushi on the mainland.

Genki Sushi owns more than 120 restaurants in Japan and has franchise agreements in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and New York City.

Genki Sushi has already signed a lease for its fourth restaurant on Oahu, just across the street from one of its current outlets on Kapahulu Avenue, at the site of the former Angelo Pietro restaurant. The new restaurant will be slightly larger than its neighbor and carry a bar, Yamamoto said. The company will decide whether to close the original location when the lease comes up in a couple of months.

Genki Sushi is also looking at a couple of other locations on Oahu, Yamamoto said. The company opened its Hawaii operations in 1993 and has been doing well for the past couple of years, he said.

Local retail and real estate analyst Stephany Sofos has been hired to analyze specific locations for new restaurants.

"Currently, we have offers in Las Vegas and we are looking at locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco," Sofos said.

The typical Genki Sushi restaurant takes up 2,600 square feet and offers more than 40 varieties of sushi.

Genki Sushi Co., based north of Tokyo, is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company recently reported a profit of $5 million for the year ended March 31, up from a loss of $4 million a year earlier.