While the American fast-casual landscape was flooded with healthy, grab-and-go concepts, Japanese cuisine remained largely untapped in this segment. Recognizing this gap, Sushiro (Japan’s leading conveyor-belt sushi giant) tasked us with creating a Western-facing version of the brand in the world's most competitive fast-casual arena — NYC.
Sushiro Seasonal Kitchen was launched as a pilot program to introduce a new narrative to New Yorkers — shifting the perception away from cheap, conveyor-belt sushi and into an affordable, nutrient-dense, and highly accessible daily wellness range of Japanese food that directly competed with established Western salad and grain-bowl giants.
To New Yorkers, Japanese food equals sushi. So, when transforming Japan’s conveyor-belt giant Sushiro into a Western grab-and-go eatery, we had to do more than build a brand that could stand alongside Chipotle or Sweetgreen — we had to create an entirely new category of Japanese fast-casual.
We conceptualized and designed every inch of this Western iteration, driving everything from the "Seasonal Kitchen" naming and strategy to the holistic visual identity, digital platforms, and full-scale architectural store design. From the ground up, we crafted a seamless, end-to-end brand experience built to scale nationwide.
Building a brand while launching a new category.
Rooted in Principle.
Cultivated in Season.
The Brand Positioning : We knew we had to redefine Japanese cuisine as more than just sushi. Instead, we chose to remind intelligent, conscious, and skeptical New Yorkers that authentic Japanese food has always consisted of seasonal, healthy, and simple ingredients — rich in flavor and rooted in deep respect for nature.
Expanding the Brand Identity & Brand Promise : The Japanese principle of shun — enjoying food at its peak seasonal ripeness — became our soul rather than just our logo. Instead of treating the shun kanji symbol like a cliché American logo lock-up, we transformed it into our ultimate graphic asset : a "stamp of approval" tag.
Brand Assets & Core Identity :Instead of just applying a logo to static assets, we developed a comprehensive creative eco-system from scratch — creating a space where traditional Japanese heritage and New York edge collide. Pairing bespoke, original illustrations with editorial, high-end food photography, we built an entirely fresh visual world for the Sushiro Seasonal Kitchen brand.
This holistic asset system allowed us to seamlessly scale the brand across every single touchpoint. It honors Sushiro's rich Japanese roots while introducing a hip, urban sensibility — ensuring absolute brand cohesion whether a customer is interacting with a fast-casual food container or walking in or past the eatery.