Sushi Express
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 Sushi Express at Taroko Mall in Taichung | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food and hospitality |
| Founded | March 1996 in Taipei, Taiwan |
| Founder | Chen Chin-Chiu (陳津秋) |
| Headquarters | , Taiwan |
Areas served | Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Thailand |
Key people | Chen Chin-Chiu |
| Products | Sushi |
| Website | www |
Sushi Express (Chinese: 爭鮮餐飲集團) is a Taiwanese chain restaurant group specializing in conveyor belt sushi. Established in 1996, the company has expanded from Taiwan to other regions in Asia, operating directly managed stores in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand. As of recent counts, the group operates 665 directly managed outlets across Asia.[1]
Founding
The founder, Chen Chin-Chiu (陳津秋), originally worked in the garment export industry. However, as Taiwan's garment manufacturing moved overseas to reduce rising costs, shifting to the domestic garment market proved unviable. Facing industry changes, Chen explored various business ventures over 15 years, incurring several million New Taiwan dollars in losses before establishing Sushi Express.[2] In March 1996, Chen founded Sushi Bar Co., Ltd. (壽司霸企業股份有限公司), focusing on take-out sushi with the concept of “small spaces, big opportunities.” In October 1996, Sushi Express Co., Ltd. (爭鮮股份有限公司) was formally established, offering conveyor belt sushi alongside take-out services.[1] The first location, Yongkang Store in Taipei, used imported Japanese conveyor systems and quickly became popular. In November 1997, the company began purchasing ingredients and equipment from Japan, launching operations under the name Sushi Express Conveyor Belt Sushi (爭鮮迴轉壽司) with a combination of conveyor sushi, take-out, and set meals.[3]
Expansion and product changes
In 2001, the brand adopted a uniform pricing model of NT$30 per plate, which proved popular with consumers. By 2004, the menu fully incorporated seafood products. In 2006, Sushi Express invested US$3.33 million to enter the Chinese market. In 2007, it expanded into four additional dining brands—Japanese hot pot, conveyor hot pot, conveyor barbecue, and Japanese set meals (Teishoku 8)—but however, most were later discontinued due to underwhelming market response. Only conveyor sushi dine-in, take-out stores, and Teishoku 8 remained.
Diversification and technology
In 2015, the company entered the e-commerce sector, selling sushi delivery, fresh ingredients, dry goods, and beverages. Later that year, it introduced Magic Touch Sushi Express ordering at selected locations, designed to maintain ingredient freshness, collect customer preference data, and reduce food waste. The model also incorporated premium ingredients and imported specialty products.[4] In August 2016, Sushi Express launched Dim Sum Dao (点心道), a Hong Kong-style dim sum brand, in Taipei's “Seven Alleys” district. Although multiple brands were rolled out between 2017 and 2018, all Dim Sum Dao locations had closed by the end of 2018.[5] At the end of 2019, the company opened SUSHiPLUS in the Nanya A.mart shopping center, combining conveyor sushi and Magic Touch ordering. The upper conveyor tier used a Shinkansen train system for direct-to-table delivery, while the lower tier offered over 60 of the brand's most popular sushi items.[6]
Recent developments
In April 2021, the company launched Zheng Xian Shi Shu (爭先食蔬), focusing on vegetarian and plant-based cuisine with international and Japanese influences. The brand has since ceased operations.[7] On January 1, 2022, Sushi Express debuted Le Xian Sushi Bar (樂鮮 Sushi Bar) in Taipei's Zhongshan District, touted as Taiwan's first conveyor-themed sushi bar. The brand closed on April 30, 2023.[8]
