Onigilly Japanese Kitchen Closes 2025 With Record Sales Growth and Expanding Franchise Pipeline

The fast-casual Japanese brand celebrates new openings, menu innovation and franchise development progress as it enters the new year.

San Francisco, CA  (RestaurantNews.com)  Onigilly Japanese Kitchen, the fast-casual concept centered on traditional onigiri rice balls, is closing 2025 with record sales, double-digit traffic growth and a fast-growing franchise pipeline, marking its evolution from a founder-led concept into a scalable modern brand poised for wider expansion in 2026.

Founder and CEO Koji Kanematsu says 2025 was the brand’s strongest year to date, driven by demand for convenient, healthier global flavors and a more structured approach to growth.

“This year, we anticipate around $2 million in revenue across our corporate locations,” Kanematsu said. “We’re seeing rising interest in onigiri, and our concept is attracting more customers across all our units.”

Across Onigilly’s core locations, guest traffic surged in 2025. The San Francisco restaurant saw a 28 percent increase in traffic, while the San Jose location grew 18 percent. A new restaurant in San Francisco’s Stonestown Galleria is already approaching $1.8 million in annualized sales.

“For sure, we can say double-digit growth,” Kanematsu said.

On the culinary front, Onigilly continued to lean into simple, focused innovation. The team introduced a limited-time spicy pumpkin onigiri around Halloween and Thanksgiving, which quickly became a guest favorite.

“We keep our menu simple, but because of the success, we are planning to do more,” Kanematsu said.

The brand also launched a loyalty program called SAMURAI CLUB and stepped up marketing efforts in 2025, further strengthening its foundation for franchising.

This year marked a turning point in Onigilly’s evolution from a small, founder-driven operation into a franchise-ready system. The company filed its Franchise Disclosure Document and received approval to franchise in California in September.

Since then, Onigilly has opened its first franchise location and built a robust pipeline of new restaurants.

“We have one franchisee currently operating, and another five who have either secured leases or are very close to doing so,” Kanematsu said.

Unlike many emerging brands, Onigilly’s corporate team takes an active role in guiding franchisees through the real estate process.

“As the franchisor, we assist in identifying and negotiating locations, then offer those options to our franchisees,” Kanematsu said. “This support reduces the heavy lifting for them, helping them get started quickly and accelerate growth.”

In addition to the six committed franchisees, Onigilly is in discussions with several more prospective partners and has identified multiple promising new sites.

“Right now, we’re confident about opening 15 to 20 franchise locations next year, with the potential for even more,” Kanematsu said.

Kanematsu says the first year of franchising underscored the differences between a franchise business and operating corporate locations, as well as the importance of building systems around owner success.

“Managing a corporate location is more straightforward because we hire and guide the general manager, and we have a clear line of sight into operations and success,” he said. “Franchise ownership is a different structure, which requires a different approach. Even with manuals and training, there’s a unique process in how you motivate and support franchisees effectively.”

Those lessons are shaping Onigilly’s priorities for 2026. The company is investing in its headquarters support team and establishing systems to ensure deliberate growth with the right partners.

“Our focus now is on our franchisees’ success,” Kanematsu said. “Our team is strong, but we’re investing in additional support, so franchisees have the resources they need to thrive. Support is our top priority.”

While many of Onigilly’s franchisees are already interested in multi-unit development, the brand is taking a disciplined, one-restaurant-at-a-time approach to expansion.

“Our priority is making sure franchisees are happy, well-supported, and fully understand the gap between their expectations and reality,” he said. “Once that foundation is in place, they can consider additional locations. We want to ensure they are both capable and motivated—that’s our approach.”

Beyond the numbers, Kanematsu remains focused on Onigilly’s founding mission: introducing authentic, healthier Japanese fast casual to a wider American audience and establishing onigiri as a mainstream option.

“That has been my primary motivation,” he said. “We’re not pursuing growth or profitability at the expense of quality. Onigiri remains a niche category in the U.S., and as a category leader, we recognize that we are often the first point of exposure for many guests. Their initial experience must be exceptional, because that experience helps define the category as a whole.”

Kanematsu views Onigilly not only as a growth business but as a steward of the onigiri category. “We may be a single company, but we see ourselves as leaders of the category,” he said. “Our goal is to bring onigiri into the mainstream as a better, healthier and more convenient fast-food option. At its core, Onigilly is about rethinking what fast food can be.”

That mindset is reflected in how the brand approaches franchise recruitment. Kanematsu says Onigilly is not looking for anyone who simply wants to buy territory; it is looking for partners who believe in the concept and will champion it in their local markets.

“We’re confident in our strength, but we’re selective about who we partner with,” he said. “We’re not looking for someone who simply has capital or wants to claim territory. We want partners who share our culture, values, and mission because those are the people who will represent the brand and lead the category in their communities.”

With record sales, double-digit traffic growth, its first franchise locations coming online and a carefully built pipeline for 2026, Onigilly is stepping into the new year as an emerging player in healthy global fast casual, backed by both strong performance and a clear, values-driven growth plan.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit 1851franchise.com/onigilly.

About Onigilly Japanese Kitchen

Onigilly Japanese Kitchen is a fast-casual franchise bringing Japan’s favorite grab-and-go food, onigiri rice balls, to the U.S. Founded by Koji Kanematsu in 2008, Onigilly has grown from a food cart in San Francisco to a scalable franchise concept designed for efficient operations, healthy menus, and compact footprints. With a focus on fresh, nutrient-rich ingredients and streamlined systems that keep costs low, Onigilly offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to join a brand that blends innovation, culture, and consumer demand for healthier dining. To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit Onigilly.com.

Media Contact:
Chad Cohen
Mainland
786-417-5769
[email protected]