MANY of us can probably recall the times when we felt intrigued and excited by just picking up plate after plate of sushi from the conveyor (kaiten) belt at Sushi King. The sushi chain which started in 1995 here, was one of the earliest Japanese restaurants to introduce sushi on a conveyor belt in Malaysia. It has certainly come a long way as Sushi King celebrated the opening of its 100th eatery in the country in 2016
Sushi King founder and Texchem Resources Berhad executive chairman Tan Sri Dr Fumihiko Konishi observed this significant milestone in Sushi King’s history:
“From the time we opened our first eatery in 1995 in Kuala Lumpur, we have definitely come a long way to where we are today, opening our 100th store, exposing Malaysians to one of Japan’s historically-rich cuisine over the years. “It also gives us the opportunity to learn about the country’s culture and the people’s curiosity for new food,” said Konishi, who thanked Malaysians for their great support and positive feedback. He added that besides the affordable prices, Sushi King also prides itself in offering the best quality Japanese food with the finest ingredients imported directly from countries that are known for their specific food ingredients like Japan and Norway. Konishi also revealed that they aim to open a total of 160 restaurants in the country by 2020, at the same time expanding Sushi King to other countries with the goal of one day becoming the largest Japanese restaurant chain outside Japan. As for the halal status, Konishi said that they were in the midst of a discussion with the Malaysian Islamic Development Department or Jakim and if all goes as planned, Sushi King will receive its halal-certified restaurant status this year. During the launch event in 2016, Sushi King went full force by showcasing a roaring Taiko Drum performance and a Japanese traditional dance performance called Soran Bushi, before treating guests to an extensive range of sushi for lunch. The restaurant chain also made a contribution of RM10,000 to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society to show its appreciation for their ongoing service to the community.
Certain Sushi King Outlets in M’sia Will Be Closed Down By 2020 As They Are Unprofitable
However, today we bear some bad news as the company behind the restaurant has ordered for the closure of unprofitable outlets country-wide in 2020, reported The Star 19 Dec 2019.
Group executive chairman Tan Sri Fumihiko Konishi said that unprofitable outlets are mainly those that are located in shopping malls that have very high rental fees. He added,
“We plan to shut the KLCC outlet as the rental is really high there. On other hand, outlets in rural area have been really profitable as the rental is cheap.”
The total number of Sushi King restaurants in the country is 137, including the 25 outlets in Sabah and Sarawak. According to the chairman, one of the reasons why consumer spending at Sushi King outlets has dropped is because of economic uncertainties. He elaborated,
“People prefer to eat ay hawker centres because there are no sales and service tax.”
As for their plans for 2020, he says that they will not be allocating a huge budget for operations . He said that they plan to spend less money , stay cautious and reduce the headcount of the employees through a rationalisation plan. (Sushi King has about 6,000 employees as of now.)
Although they need to take some really drastic actions, he says that the group is still generating a healthy amount of money (RM30mil to RM40mil in cash) annually from all their business divisions.
As Sushi King has been around for about 26 years now, it will be devastating to see some of their outlets close, especially those that have been around for a very long time. What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments!
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