The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, I chat with Abe Ng, founder and chief executive officer of Sushi Maki about brand development, innovation and growth over two decades. 

Ng, a lifelong restaurateur, has been in the industry for many years, he says since birth. His parents had Chinese restaurants and Ng worked in them as he grew up. After university Ng spent some time in public accounting but his love for hospitality brought him back. He founded a fast casual burrito chain but transitioned to Sushi Maki in 2000. Twenty-two years later Sushi Maki is still a family business and today operates twenty-five restaurants. 

I asked Ng about the Sushi Maki concept and he says, it started as a neighborhood sushi bar. He took into consideration what the area had already and what it needed. Ng says, “Hard to believe that in the early 2000 where we were in South Miami and in Coral Gables Florida there weren't a lot of sushi bars.” He adds, “I actually spent some time in California at the California Sushi Academy to get some basic understanding and respect for the cuisine. I went to a hospitality school and had a rudimentary understanding of restaurants and commercial kitchens.” 

Ng talks about seeing the importance off-premise could have to the business early after opening, and began selling wholesale sushi to country clubs and hotels. Sushi Maki today does all of the sushi for Whole Foods Market in Miami Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. You can also find Sushi Maki locations at universities in South Florida. 

Polished fast casual restaurants is a concept Ng says he started dabbling in a few years ago and feels it is the future of his concept. Sushi Maki Las Olas introduced the 2,500-square-foot new concept for the brand and it represents the company’s first stand-alone location in Broward County. The restaurant differs from the traditional fast casual by including real glassware and plates rather than disposable options. 

To hear Ng talk about the Sushi Maki tech stack and the brand’s marketing approach, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts.