IRO Sushi Enters Scotland: Targeting 20 Locations

IRO Sushi, which is expanding its franchise network in the United Kingdom, is broadening its operations into Scotland. The company has made an agreement for its first restaurant in Scotland at 249-257 Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. The establishment, which will replace the former Oodles Wok unit, is planned to open by the summer of 2026. The exact opening date has not yet been announced.

The new restaurant is not seen as a single-unit market test. IRO Sushi has announced that it is also looking for new locations and franchise partners in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen during the same period. Founder and CEO Chhong Sherpa stated that they believe Scotland can support 20 IRO Sushi locations over time and mentioned that growth will be carried out in a controlled manner with the right locations and franchise partners.

From over 35 locations to a new regional market

According to its own corporate website, IRO Sushi was established in 2014 and currently operates in over 35 locations across the UK. The company's model utilizes in-restaurant service, takeaway, and delivery channels together.

A significant portion of this growth is driven by the franchise model. According to Foodservice Equipment Journal, IRO Sushi opened more than 20 new locations in the last three years. New branches will be launched in locations such as Bristol, Tunbridge Wells, Maidenhead, and Woking in the first half of 2026, while the company's system sales reached £11.1 million during the same period. According to data provided by the source, system sales increased by 28% annually, while like-for-like store sales rose by 20%. It should be noted that these figures are based on IRO Sushi's company statement.

IRO Sushi's long-term goal is to reach 100 locations worldwide by 2030 through growth in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.

Why Glasgow as the first step?

The choice of Glasgow for the first location in Scotland is noteworthy in terms of the typical clustering strategy employed by restaurant chains when entering a new region. The brand plans not only to open in Glasgow but also to seek franchise partners and real estate options in Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

This approach is different from opening a single restaurant and then spreading across the country. Establishing locations in relatively close major cities can enable more efficient organization of training, field management, supply, marketing, and operational support.

This issue is particularly critical in sushi operations that use fresh products. Rapidly expanding to numerous locations is not just about signing new franchise agreements. Product standardization, cold chain management, supplier management, food safety, and employee training must be conducted at the same level in every restaurant.

Standard operations behind franchise growth

In its own franchise materials, IRO Sushi highlights growth opportunities for new franchise locations. The company bases its history and model on the business started by founder Chhong Sherpa in 2014 and clearly states that it is looking for franchise investors for new locations.

In restaurant chains that grow through franchising, the main challenge is not reaching the number of branches but maintaining standards as the number of branches increases.

This issue becomes more pronounced in categories like sushi, where preparation skills and raw material quality directly reflect on the product. For a new franchise operation to succeed, many processes such as recipe standardization, knife skills, rice preparation, portioning, product temperature, cross-contamination control, and allergen management need to be supported by training.

IRO Sushi also states that it is pursuing franchise growth alongside operational support and training. However, whether the target of 20 locations will be achieved remains a company plan at this stage; there are no announced 20 confirmed locations or signed 20 franchise agreements.

The sushi market in the UK is already competitive

In IRO Sushi's expansion into Scotland, the landscape it will face will not only be growing demand but also strong competition.

According to research by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) regarding the UK foodservice market, brands such as Itsu, Kokoro, YO! Sushi, Wasabi, and IRO Sushi are among the multi-store Japanese food chains operating in the country. In the 2024 data from the report, IRO Sushi is listed with 26 branches, while the company's current website mentions over 35 locations by 2026. This difference also reflects the brand's recent expansion pace.

However, more branches do not automatically mean a stronger business. The rental levels in the new market, delivery platform commissions, labor availability, food costs, and local customer behaviors directly affect the franchise economics.

What does it say for chain businesses in Turkey?

IRO Sushi's plan for Scotland also presents a meaningful example for restaurant chains evaluating regional growth in Turkey.

Finding a "good location" is not enough when entering a new city or region. The cost of expanding the supply network, the number of branches a regional manager can cover, the accessibility of the training team, logistics frequency, and the performance of the product in the delivery channel must all be calculated together.

Especially in a franchise system, opening a single and isolated branch in a region can increase supply and management costs. In contrast, creating a controlled cluster of branches in the same region can provide advantages in operational support.

Therefore, IRO Sushi's decision to make Glasgow the starting point and include Edinburgh and Aberdeen in the same growth plan can be seen as a concrete example of the regional clustering approach in franchise systems.

Stafflink's perspective

IRO Sushi's goal of 20 locations in Scotland is striking, but in our view, the key indicator to watch is not the number of branches opened but whether the operational quality of this growth can be maintained.

Franchise growth can enable faster expansion of the chain by distributing part of the capital requirement to franchise investors. However, rapid growth can create differentiation in brand standards if training, supervision, procurement, and human resources infrastructure do not develop at the same pace.

This risk is even higher in the sushi category. Since product safety and preparation standards are directly dependent on employee skills, the growth plan should focus not only on finding new investors but also on creating a sufficient number of trained employees and strong field support.

The fundamental lesson that can be drawn for restaurant brands growing through franchising in Turkey is this: location targeting is a growth strategy; it is not a success criterion on its own without training, supply, and operational infrastructure.