Data basis. Ace Sushi Franchise Corporation issued the U.S. traditional FDD on April 13, 2026 and amended it April 28, 2026. This analysis covers the Single Unit Program, Satellite Store Program, Area Development Program, Franchise Agreement, Satellite Store Addendum, Area Development Agreement, and Sushi Supply Agreement relationships. It uses Items 1, 3-8, 10-12, 15-17, and 19-22; Item 19 makes no financial performance representation, and Item 20 reports activity through December 31, 2025. Checked July 27, 2026.
The official Ace Sushi franchise page describes the application-to-opening sequence. The official brand history describes more than 1,000 global locations; this article uses Item 20’s 589 U.S. traditional outlets because those populations are not equivalent.
Which Ace Sushi features can help, and what can create friction?
The Ace Sushi Host Venue model can reduce location-development and opening ambiguity because Ace Sushi Franchise Corporation coordinates placement, supplies Proprietary Products through Asiana Management Group (AMG), and provides initial training. The same Franchise Agreement structure concentrates control outside the Ace Sushi franchisee: customer receipts pass through the Venue Owner and AMG, operating methods are prescribed, and no protected territory is granted.
Host Venue revenue flow
Verified fact: Venue Owners collect customer sales, typically retain 15%-30% of Gross Sushi Sales, and remit the balance to AMG before food, freight, insurance, equipment, and other Expenses reduce Commissions.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Items 1 and 6, pp. 2-3 and 8-13; Franchise Agreement §§5.1-5.6.
Training and owner workload
Verified fact: Ace provides eight hours of online initial training and 55 hours of onsite opening training, while the Franchise Agreement requires full-time attention and daily operation during Host Venue hours.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Items 11, 15 and 16, pp. 26-30 and 35-36; Franchise Agreement §§6.1, 7.1 and 7.17.
Proprietary Products and approved suppliers
Verified fact: Franchisees must buy Proprietary Products and many core supplies from Ace, AMG, or approved sources; alternate supplier review may take 60-90 days and cost $200-$600 per item.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Item 8, pp. 20-22; Franchise Agreement §§7.4-7.7.
Technology and Customer Data
Verified fact: Required website, Dashboard, computer, and application systems support ordering, timekeeping, reporting, and communication; Ace can access financial data and impose uncapped hardware or software changes.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Items 6 and 11, pp. 10-13 and 27-29; Franchise Agreement §§7.6 and 7.16.
Territory, channels, and Satellite Stores
Verified fact: A standard Franchise Agreement grants no protected territory, reserves internet and alternative channels to Ace, and permits Ace to require up to two Satellite Stores within 20 miles.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Items 6, 12 and 16, pp. 10, 31-33 and 35-36; Satellite Store Addendum.
Term, termination, and exit
Verified fact: The term generally follows the Sushi Supply Agreement and is capped at 48 months; Ace may terminate on 30 days’ notice, while early franchisee termination requires discretionary approval.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Item 17, pp. 36-41; Franchise Agreement §§2.1, 2.2, 11 and 12.
Area Development commitment
Verified fact: Area Development requires five, ten, or at least forty Ace Sushi Bars, with limited Development Area protection only under the addendum and continuing Reserved Rights.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Items 5, 7 and 12, pp. 5-8, 14-20 and 32-33; Area Development Agreement and Addendum.
What does Item 20 show about outlet direction and turnover?
Year-end U.S. traditional outlets increased from 465 in 2023 to 589 in 2025. The same Item 20 tables show 397 franchised outlets were terminated, not renewed, reacquired, or ceased operations for other reasons during 2023-2025. Item 20 growth and departures describe Ace Sushi system movement, not outlet profitability or franchisee satisfaction.
Exact Item 20 counts, separated between franchised and company-owned outlets.
Interpretation: The franchised count rose each year, while company-owned counts moved in both directions; neither series measures unit-level economics.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Item 20, Table 1 and system totals, pp. 41-47. Three-year departure figure: Special Risks cover and Item 20 tables.
How do the disclosed investment ranges change by program?
The Item 7 ranges overlap for a new Main Sushi Bar and a Main Sushi Bar with one Satellite Store, but the Area Development Program adds a separate multi-unit commitment. These are initial-investment estimates, not earnings forecasts, and the Area Development amount is in addition to the investment required for the first operating location.
New-location estimates only; existing-outlet purchase premiums are excluded.
Interpretation: The Area Development range reflects development fees and setup obligations, then requires separate Franchise Agreements and applicable investment for each Ace Sushi Bar.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD cover and Item 7, pp. 14-20. Values exclude the separate $1,000-$100,000 price Ace may charge for an existing outlet.
Where does support end and external dependence begin?
The Ace Sushi Franchise Agreement and Sushi Supply Agreement distribute responsibility among the Venue Owner, AMG, Ace Sushi Franchise Corporation, and the franchisee. This Host Venue arrangement may let an Ace Sushi franchisee enter an established grocery location without negotiating every System element independently, but unit economics and continuity depend on contracts and AMG calculations the franchisee does not fully control.
A relationship map based on Items 1, 6, 8, 11, 12 and the Franchise Agreement.
Decision effect: Buyers should model the proposed Host Venue’s complete commission waterfall and contract term, not only the headline initial investment.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Items 1, 6, 8, 11, 12 and 21; Franchise Agreement and applicable Sushi Supply Agreement.
Ace Sushi Item 19 states that Ace Sushi Franchise Corporation makes no financial performance representation. That absence does not establish weak performance, but it prevents a buyer from testing likely sales, food-cost burden, labor requirements, or net Commissions against a disclosed system-wide population. For a resale, the FDD permits Ace to provide the actual records of the specific existing outlet.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Item 19, p. 41; see the FTC Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Franchise and its explanation of Item 19.
The 2026 Ace Sushi FDD’s Special Risks page says Ace Sushi Franchise Corporation’s financial condition calls into question its ability to provide services and support. The audited 2025 statements report $100,000 cash and $50,000 equity, while AMG performs substantially all franchise responsibilities under a related-party management arrangement. These facts do not establish insolvency; they make AMG capacity, intercompany dependence, and service continuity material diligence topics.
Source: 2026 Ace Sushi FDD, Special Risks cover, Item 21 and audited financial statements, pp. 47 and Exhibit K.
The FDD was amended April 28, 2026. On June 18, 2026, San Diego County announced a civil action naming Ace Sushi Franchise Corporation, AMG, and other grocery-sushi companies, alleging franchisee misclassification and labor-law violations. The county’s statements are allegations, not adjudicated findings. The filing creates current California operating-model uncertainty that should be reviewed separately from Item 3.
Source: San Diego County’s official lawsuit announcement and the Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement update.
What should a buyer verify before signing?
The highest-value questions are specific to the proposed Host Venue, operating schedule, and commission waterfall. They should be answered with the current Franchise Agreement, Sushi Supply Agreement, state addenda, invoices, and conversations with current and former franchisees identified in Item 20.
Document and operator checks
Reconcile one full month of Gross Sushi Sales to Venue Owner retention, Ace compensation, AMG charges, and final Commissions.
For a resale, obtain the outlet’s actual sales, deductions, labor, waste, delivery, and owner-hour records.
Read the proposed Sushi Supply Agreement’s term, notice rights, termination rights, store hours, and remodel obligations.
Confirm whether the owner or a trained manager can reliably cover seven-day Host Venue operations and absences.
Review recent Proprietary Product invoices, freight charges, supplier substitutions, rebates, shortages, and alternate-source approvals.
Request the history and expected cost of website, Dashboard, label-machine, hardware, and software changes.
Call Item 20 contacts from openings, transfers, terminations, reacquisitions, and other cessations in comparable Host Venues.
Have counsel assess the guaranty, state addenda, 30-day termination right, noncompetition terms, and June 2026 litigation.
Who may align with the model, and who may face friction?
Ace Sushi buyer fit depends less on the number of advantages or constraints than on tolerance for hands-on food production, Host Venue dependence, and the prescribed System. A proposed Main Sushi Bar can differ materially from another Ace Sushi Bar because the Venue Owner’s contract, traffic, hours, equipmentallocation, and deductions may differ.
Potentially aligned profile
An operator who expects to work in or closely supervise the Main Sushi Bar, accepts standardized products and technology, can manage early-morning Satellite Store deliveries, and is comfortable validating Commissions after multiple deductions may find the operating structure useful. Multi-unit experience and sufficient reserves matter more for an Area Development Agreement.
Likely friction profile
A buyer seeking passive ownership, direct control of customer receipts, broad menu or catering discretion, independent sourcing, protected territory, unrestricted digital channels, or unilateral exit rights may experience structural conflict. The model also creates additional diligence for buyers whose household assets would support a guaranty or whose location depends on a short Sushi Supply Agreement.
Which public sources clarify the due-diligence context?
The contractual analysis above is controlled by the 2026 FDD and attached agreements. Public sources are used only for current brand context, the franchise application sequence, FTC interpretation, and the post-FDD government announcement.
Conditional synthesis
Ace Sushi’s clearest structural advantage is the defined Host Venue, supply, training, and reporting framework. Its most material burden is the combined dependence on Venue Owners, AMG deductions, required systems, and limited contractual autonomy. The model aligns most closely with active, detail-oriented food operators and may create friction for passive or high-discretion buyers. Before signing, the priority is to reconcile the proposed location’s actual commission waterfall and Sushi Supply Agreement terms.