September 29, 2024

Croft & Bender Advises Sushi Avenue

Croft & Bender, an Atlanta-based investment banking firm, is pleased to announce the successful sale of its client, Sushi Avenue, Inc. (“Sushi Avenue” or the “Company”), to Sojitz Corporation (“Sojitz”).

Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, Sushi Avenue is a leading franchisor of turnkey sushi kiosk programs and services to supermarkets, universities, and corporate foodservice establishments throughout the United States.  The Company provides all essential ingredients, packaging, equipment and marketing materials to franchisees operating in more than 300 locations across 22 states.  As a trusted partner to numerous blue-chip national and regional supermarket chains, Sushi Avenue is recognized as a premium provider of restaurant-quality sushi.

"The Croft & Bender team were highly valued and trusted partners in helping us navigate the transaction process.  Their efforts and expertise positioned the Company for a great outcome with Sojitz" said Sushi Avenue President, Nay Hla. "We are excited to continue our growth with a value-added partner like Sojitz that provides great opportunities for our customers, employees and franchisees."

The acquisition of Sushi Avenue represents a continued expansion of its presence in the US market for Tokyo, Japan-based Sojitz.  While Sojitz has extensive experience in seafood farming, processing and wholesaling, primarily in Asia, Sushi Avenue provides broad access to leading retail outlets across the United States.  

“We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to advise Nay Hla and the Sushi Avenue team throughout the deal process.  Nay and his team built a highly respected business over nearly two decades and were innovators in expanding the presence of sushi in American grocery stores.  The Company has a bright future and Sojitz was an ideal partner to support them in their next phase of growth,” commented Neale Fisher, Managing Director at Croft & Bender.

Croft & Bender served as the exclusive financial advisor to Sushi Avenue on the transaction. For more information, please contact Neale Fisher or Connor Boston.