A Japanese restaurant group has purchased North America’s second largest sushi brand.
London-based Yo! Sushi acquired Toronto-based Bento Sushi for $100 million (Canadian). Bento supplies sushi to more than 1,700 supermarkets, quick-service restaurants and other foodservice venues.
Bento employs more than 2,000 sushi chefs and serves more than 20 million portions a year. The company has enjoyed 16 percent compound annual sales growth the past three years.
With the addition of Bento, Yo! Is now one of the largest sushi companies outside of Japan.
“The combination of Yo! and Bento will further enhance our group’s ability to be the partner of choice for grocery and institutional foodservice providers throughout our enlarged operating geography,” says Ken Valvur, Bento’s chairman.