Sushiro, the Japanese conveyor-belt sushi giant that has taken China by storm, is finding that rapid expansion and food safety are increasingly difficult to balance. A flagship branch in Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan District was recently slapped with a 60,000 RMB ($8,300) fine after market regulators discovered a shocking level of hygiene negligence. During a January inspection, officials found that half of the sampled plates were visibly dirty with food residue; by February, a follow-up inspection revealed that 60% of the plates still failed to meet basic cleanliness standards.
The regulatory crackdown on the Hangzhou MixC outlet extended beyond dirty dishes. The branch was also found to be selling cold-processed cakes—including mango and strawberry mille-feuille—without the necessary licenses for cold food preparation. Furthermore, staff were observed entering food-preparation zones without following mandatory secondary hand-washing and disinfection protocols. This pattern of non-compliance suggests a breakdown in middle-management oversight as the brand scales its operations across the mainland.
Sushiro’s parent company, Food & Life Companies (F&LC), has placed high stakes on the Chinese market. Since entering Guangzhou in 2021, the brand has become a cultural phenomenon, often referred to as the 'Queue King.' Some locations in Beijing and Guangzhou have seen wait times of up to ten hours, necessitating reservations weeks in advance. With a goal to expand from its current 100-store footprint to as many as 1,000 locations, the pressure to maintain throughput is immense.
However, this is not an isolated incident. Over the past year, Sushiro outlets in Beijing, Foshan, and Zhuhai have faced similar penalties for issues ranging from insect contamination in ramen to suspected parasites in sashimi. For a brand that trades on the reputation of Japanese culinary precision and safety, these repeated failures represent a significant reputational risk. As Chinese consumers become increasingly sensitive to food safety standards, the novelty of the brand may soon be eclipsed by concerns over public health.