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Sushirrito is a fast casual restaurant concept that started in San Francisco in January 2011. It is a blend of traditional sushi with the added convenience of having it to-go. Sushirrito offers Asian-Latin fusion sushi burritos that are made-to-order with a counter service, assembly line setup. It currently has 7 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City.
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History
Peter Yen, founder of Sushirrito, worked in downtown San Francisco and was hungry for Sushi but did not have time to sit down for a meal. Yen believed that sushi did not have to be a meal where one would have to spend a long time to enjoy – he believed that he could make it more convenient for people on the go.
Yen wanted to completely change the way people not only ate sushi, but thought of sushi. Instead of the traditional way, Yen reinvented the process of preparing and assembling sushi to fit the desires of almost everyone.
Yen was also environmentally conscious and was concerned about the local fisheries and over-fishing. He wanted to create a new way to eat sushi that was ‘fast, fresh, affordable, portable, and environmentally conscious’. The Sushirrito was born.
Food
Sushirrito offers a fixed menu of sushi burrito offerings. Each sushi burrito is created with Asian and Latin ingredients and flavors. The Geisha’s Kiss (with hand-caught, yellowfin tuna, tamago, piquillo peppers, lotus chips, namasu cucumber, green leaf lettuce, ginger guac, and yuzu tobiko) is one of the most popular items on the menu. Other popular flavors include: the Satori (with Hiramasa Yellowtail, Cucumber, Pickled Red Onion, Sweet Corn, Ginger Guac, Red Tobiko and Wasabi Mayo), the Sumo Crunch (with Shrimp Tempura, Surimi Crab, Shaved Cabbage, Cucumber, Ginger Guac, Red Tempura Flakes and Sriracha Aioli), the Mayan Dragon (Crispy Chicken Katsu, Purple Potatoes, Julienne Carrots, Pickled Red Cabbage, Ginger Guac, Shaved Jalapenos and Curry Mole), the Salmon Samba (with Oven-Baked Agave-Soy Salmon, Tempura Asparagus, Namasu Cucumber, Green Leaf Lettuce, Ginger Guac, Pepitas, and Wasabi Dust Teri-Mayonesa), the Porkivore (with Pork Belly (Ume-Adobo Style), Chicharron, Shaved Cabbage, Red Radish, Ginger Guac, and Cilantro Peruvian Pepper Sauce) and plenty more.
Other than sushi burritos, there is a Lava Nachos with brown rice chips topped with tuna picante, melted pepper jack cheese, ginger guac, green onions, and nori strips. There is also a Bonsai Salad with Green Leaf Lettuce, Julienne Carrots, Namasu Cucumber, Daikon Sprouts, Pepitas, topped with Wasabi Dust Passion Fruit Miso Dressing.
Sushirrito does not offer customizability in its food. Soy sauce and wasabi are also not offered.
Sushirrito is committed to sustainability by sourcing its fish responsibly. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Sushirrito receives its fish from Royal Hawaiian Seafood, which sources its fish based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch’s sustainability criteria and research.
Media coverage
Since its inception, Sushirrito has garnered attention from a wide range of media outlets, including the The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Business Insider, Buzzfeed, and numerous food bloggers and social media celebrities. Sushirrito was also featured in Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 2014 and on the Apple Watch event on September 2015.
Trademark
Peter Yen "The Chief Executive Roller" created the Sushirrito brand name and trademarked it in 2008. Several years later, Yen collaborated with Ty Mahler, former executive chef of Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion in San Francisco and now the Chief Operational Officer, to launch Sushirrito in January 2011. Buddha Boy Foods, Inc. owns the Sushirrito trademark.