Sushi Circle plans franchise network in Czechia and Slovakia

Sushi Circle is preparing to develop a franchise network in Czechia and Slovakia. The operator of fresh sushi kiosks inside grocery shops entered the Czech market in autumn 2025. In a profile published on Franchising.cz on 9 November 2026, it presents the Czech and Slovak markets as further opportunities for franchise development.

From market entry to exploring franchising

According to its company profile, the brand operates around 350 kiosks across Germany and Czechia. This figure covers the combined network in both countries, not the number of Czech locations. For prospective franchisees considering the Czech market, the key point is the company's stated intention to use franchising for further expansion.

Its Czech expansion and preparations for a franchise network represent two separate stages. The first concerns the brand's market presence: Sushi Circle says it expanded into Czechia in autumn 2025. The second concerns how it intends to grow from here, with plans to build a franchise network in Slovakia as well.

This is therefore not an announcement of the brand's first entry into Czechia. The news for prospective franchisees is its proposed direction for further growth. Distinguishing between these two steps matters: an existing operating network does not, in itself, indicate how far preparations for working with independent franchisees have progressed.

A kiosk inside a grocery shop

Sushi Circle describes its concept as operating fresh sushi kiosks inside grocery shops. Rather than a standalone restaurant, the model is a foodservice outlet located within another retail business. When assessing the opportunity, this setting is just as important as the product itself.

For prospective franchisees in the Czech market, this raises a practical issue to discuss: alongside the terms for using the brand, they need to understand how their business will be linked to the host shop. Before making a decision, it is worth clarifying responsibility for the premises, day-to-day operations and the relationship with the retailer whose shop will house the kiosk.

These questions do not describe specific Sushi Circle contracts; they are recommendations for assessing this type of opportunity. For an in-store kiosk, it is useful to consider the brand, the individual location and the division of responsibilities together. The size of the overall network is no substitute for understanding the terms attached to a particular proposed outlet.

Around 350 kiosks does not mean 350 franchises

A key detail in Sushi Circle's profile is its single pilot franchise outlet in Germany. According to the brand, further franchise development is being prepared in Germany, Czechia and Slovakia. The overall size of the kiosk network should therefore not be confused with the scale of its existing franchise operations.

The two figures answer different questions. Around 350 kiosks indicates the size of the operating network the company reports across Germany and Czechia combined. One pilot franchise describes the stated starting point for its franchise model. Potential franchisees should consider both pieces of information, rather than focusing solely on the larger figure.

During discussions, it therefore makes sense to focus on the lessons from the pilot franchise and how these are being used to prepare the Czech franchise offering. Prospective franchisees should ask which processes have already been tested in the franchisor–franchisee relationship and how they will be applied to their own outlet. This helps distinguish experience in operating kiosks from experience in supporting an independent business owner.

What to check before joining the network

Czechia and Slovakia are explicitly named in the plans as countries where the franchise network is to be developed. This is a stated aim, not an announcement that a specific Czech franchise outlet has opened. The appropriate next step for interested investors is therefore to discuss the proposed arrangements, rather than assume that all the terms can be inferred from the existing network abroad.

Before making any commitment, it is sensible to request financial projections for the specific kiosk, a breakdown of each party's obligations and an explanation of the support provided at launch. Reviewing the contractual arrangements associated with operating inside a grocery shop is equally important. These documents should make it possible to assess the individual opportunity separately from the brand's broader European growth plan.

Practical takeaway: Sushi Circle presents a potential opportunity in kiosk-based foodservice for those considering a franchise in the Czech market. However, prospective franchisees should carefully distinguish the scale of the overall network from its experience with franchising, and base their decisions on the terms for the individual outlet.