IMAP advises the shareholders of Sushi Circle on the sale to Japanese Zensho Holding

IMAP advised the shareholders of Sushi Circle Gastronomie GmbH, a leading operator of sushi kiosks in the German food retail, on the sale to Zensho Holding Ltd. This acquisition marks Zensho's entry into the German market while continuing its strong growth strategy of recent years. The transaction is expected to further accelerate the expansion of Sushi Circle. The current managing directors Jochen Kaiser and André Schmitt will continue to steer the development of Sushi Circle.

"With the professional know-how and financial strength of the new owner Zensho, we intend to further accelerate the rapid expansion of recent years and drive the development of innovative food concepts for food retailers. This will set the course for the future and strengthen our position in the market," say Managing Directors Jochen Kaiser and André Schmitt.

For more than 25 years, Sushi Circle has been serving its customers under the slogan "EAT WELL. FEEL GOOD" with outstanding craftsmanship and excellent freshness every day. Starting with fine dining and a Kaiten restaurant in Frankfurt, the company has grown strongly in the sushi kiosk segment following a strategic change. Today, Sushi Circle operates around 240 sushi kiosks with over 700 employees in German supermarkets such as Rewe, Kaufland and Edeka.

Zensho Holdings is not only the largest food service provider in Japan, but also one of the top 10 food service providers worldwide, with more than 10,000 locations, around 150,000 employees and a consolidated turnover of €5.5 billion in fiscal year 2022/2023. The company operates around 4,500 takeaway sushi bars in the US, Canada and Australia, and is now represented in Germany with Sushi Circle.

The IMAP team led by Dr. Carsten Lehmann, Florian Müller and Adineta Gashi advised the shareholders of Sushi Circle Gastronomie GmbH throughout the entire M&A process and supported them in negotiating and successfully closing the transaction.