The sushi chain that's quietly taking over UK
An underrated sushi brand praised for providing customers with ‘fast healthy food’ is rapidly expanding across the United Kingdom, with fans hailing it as ‘tip-top amazing’.
The 2014-founded chain, renowned for its high-class, restaurant-quality sushi and Japanese-inspired dishes, plans to establish at least 100 brick-and-mortar stores by the time that 2030 rolls around.
Over the last six months, the business has ‘worked hard to refine’ its position on the high street and is apparently poised to make its ambitious dreams a reality.
“Now, with the foundations firmly in place, we’re ready to turbocharge our growth with the opening of new sites across the UK,” said founder and trained sushi chef Chhong Sherpa.
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The company, known as IRO Sushi, has announced that five new stores are set to open imminently across Britain.
Outlets will begin operating in Bristol and Ipswich, alongside Maidenhead, Basingstoke and Ilford.
The quintet will join a fleet of already-operational restaurants in Woking, Clapham, Walton-on-Thames, Fulham, and more.
The venues will reportedly be modelled on and inspired by Izakayas, casual Japanese pubs famed for their relaxed atmosphere and sharing plates, as per BusinessLive.
Current menu staples at Iro Sushi include packed Sushi Boxes, hot dishes, such as Chicken and Prawn Katsu Curry, and Poke bowls featuring diced tuna, salmon, and firecracker chicken.
There’s also steaming bowls of ramen, crunchy hand rolls and miso soup with spring onion, wakame - a species of kelp - and tofu to slurp.
Die-hard IRO Sushi fans have been praising the business’s offerings for years on social media.
“Iro sushi is tip top amazing. Best to order via Uber eat or Deliveroo,” commented one X user. (Sic)
A second reported: “Just popped into the new fast food place on Tunbridge Wells called Iro Sushi. Wow, this is fast healthy food done well.”
Someone else said: “I recommend Iro Sushi, it's super good.”
Last November, the grab-and-go chain, which took its first steps into franchising back in 2019, signed an agreement to open ten new locations over the next 12 months.
“At IRO Sushi, we are on a mission to bring restaurant-quality sushi to the masses,” Sherpa said at the time to Caterer Licensee.
“For too long, consumers have been getting shortchanged with inferior, tasteless sushi that uses cheap and unsustainable seafood. We want to change this with our menu of truly authentic, premium and restaurant quality sushi served at affordable prices.
“We believe our offer plays into the heart of major consumer trends. Consumers today want quick, protein rich meals that make them feel good, which has fuelled our rapid expansion with 20 openings in the last 18 months.”
He added: “Now, as we look to the next chapter with our evolved brand, we are looking for ambitious franchisees keen to scale with us and bring premium restaurant quality sushi to all.”
Where would you like the next IRO Sushi to pop up?
Ella Scott