Sushi Maki
A fast-casual prototype to expand audience
The Ask
Sushi Maki is a well-known south Florida brand with dozens of in-store locations at Whole Foods, as well as full-service restaurants. We were first asked to help design a new full-service location, but the process ended up with the creation of a fast-casual model for the future.
Like many companies who are going through a big change, developing the design was not easy for the Sushi Maki team. They struggled to find the balance between the new model and providing the level of service they felt is a crucial part of who they are. To guide the process, we started, as we often do, with a deep dive into what’s at the core of the Sushi Maki brand. We asked what they believe in and how that guides the way they operate. What we found is that their strongly-held values guide everything they do, from how they foster a level of trust in their team to the commitment they make to sustainable fish harvesting.
The Process
Applying the brand’s “why” to the design meant creating an environment that backed up their values, allowed their commitment to a more than expected level of service come together in a format that works.
There are some inherent challenges in going fast casual for a Sushi concept. Ticket times are a little longer than most fast casual concept. to counter that we needed to make the space visual interesting as well as provide the guests with the ability to see the sushi more than usual. the sushi counter doesn’t have the normal blocking refrigerator which is a challenge for the team to keep in shape but adds a very different view into the sushi making.
The Process
We did a lot of drawings and renderings in support of this design. We are a 100% 3d design firm that includes everything to a shop drawing level. This provides a high level of detail that saves a lot of time and expense.
We have done a great deal of prototype work, using an approach rooted in getting to the soul of the brand, as well as a deep understanding of its business model. As we often say, it doesn’t matter if something looks great if it doesn’t function for the brand and meet the financial model.
