Litorina invests in Sushi Yama

Sushi Yama opened its first restaurant in PK-Huset in central Stockholm in 2008 and has since then grown rapidly to over 45 restaurants across Sweden with total sales of SEK 240m. The company has always strived to be in the forefront when it comes to sustainability and received the ”Pioneer of the Year Award” from Aquaculture Stewardship Council in 2019. Sushi Yama is the first sushi chain in the Nordics to certify all its restaurants to serve ASC and MSC certified products to its customers.

“Sushi Yama has successfully established a market leading position in the fast-growing Asian fast casual food segment and is well-positioned to continue its rapid and profitable expansion journey. The strong brand and the existing restaurant base constitute a solid platform to accelerate the expansion in Sweden and overtime internationally. We have good experience from other successful scalable roll-out cases including Leo’s Lekland and are very pleased that the founders have chosen Litorina as their preferred partner going forward”, says Lars Verneholt, Partner at Litorina.

Litorina has followed Sushi Yama’s success and is impressed by the growth the founders and the team have achieved. The founders, Sargon George and Ninos George, have played an essential role and will remain in leading positions following the new partnership with Litorina. To support the expansion plans and continued restaurant development, Sushi Yama’s board of directors will be strengthened by representatives from Litorina and its advisory network with solid experience from the restaurant sector and sustainable and scalable roll-outs.

Today Sushi Yama is mainly present in Stockholm and eastern Sweden. The company has a clear plan for establishing and offering Sushi Yama throughout Sweden and overtime also in the other Nordic countries and internationally. Only in Sweden, a potential for another 100-150 new restaurants has been identified and the company has already begun a targeted search for new locations.

“The Sushi Yama team is excited to partner with Litorina on its expansion journey going forward. We believe that Litorina’s experience, strong network and resources will facilitate our ambitions to accelerate growth and expand Sushi Yama’s presence in and beyond Sweden”, says Sargon George, CEO at Sushi Yama.

For further information, please contact:

Sargon George, +46 734 47 47 88 – CEO, Sushi Yama
Lars Verneholt, +46 733 86 92 07 – Partner, Litorina V Advisor

Sushi Yama, founded in 2008, is the leading sushi restaurant chain in Sweden with over 45 restaurants across the country. The restaurants serve high-quality sushi in an inviting atmosphere, with strong focus on sustainability and customer service. Sushi Yama has a turnover of SEK 240m and is headquartered in Stockholm. For more information, please visit www.sushiyama.se.

Litorina, founded in 1998, invests in niche market leading companies with headquarters in the Nordics. We partner with management teams and entrepreneurs that want our support to take the next step in their development. By contributing capital for expansion, relevant experience, a network of knowledgeable advisors and our passion, we aim to double the size of the companies we invest in within a four to seven year period. For more information, please visit www.litorina.se.