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How Onigilly is bringing portable Japanese onigiri to high-traffic shopping centers with a small-footprint model built for efficient operations and measured franchise growth.
Onigilly has officially earned a place on 1851 Franchise’s 2026 Fastest Growing Emerging Franchises list — a recognition that highlights brands shaping the future of franchising through innovation, momentum and strong demand. As interest from franchisees continues to climb, Onigilly is entering a pivotal phase of expansion.
“We designed our concept: it’s portable, but it’s like sandwiches and burgers,” Kanematsu said. “It’s portable like burgers and sandwiches, and it’s healthy, like Japanese healthy food. It’s like fast food, but a healthier version — the niche and unique Japanese option.”
Onigilly took shape in the San Francisco Bay Area after founder Koji Kanematsu moved to the United States in 2006 and struggled to find onigiri. He also noticed how often school lunches fell short and wanted to offer a more nourishing, grab-and-go option. The brand traces its roots to 2008, starting with a food cart and growing into multiple Bay Area locations, with a stated mission of making onigiri a more familiar staple for American diners.
“It’s been 18 years since we started,” Kanematsu said. “We didn’t scale. We didn’t want to scale at early stages because I felt we were not ready because my vision was to become like Subway, but the Japanese version. So, we needed to design a system first — supply chain and co-packing and automation.”
Onigilly’s model is built to be easy to run: a small footprint, no hood-driven cooking and an operation designed to keep labor light while delivering the same product every time. Onigilly’s franchise positioning highlights a small-format build (marketed as under 500 square feet) and strong sales potential, a combination that puts it in a different lane than many full-kitchen fast-casual concepts.
“Our requirement is small — 250 square feet minimum,” Kanematsu said. “We don’t need seating space. We need a sink and power, but you don’t need restaurant experience, and you don’t need heavy vapors. We use automation — not 100% robotic, but 30% to 40% — so our labor is low.”
Over the past year, the biggest shift has been moving from a long-tested single-operator playbook to a franchising pipeline with real estate momentum built in. Instead of asking franchisees to start at square one on site selection, the brand has leaned into pre-negotiated shopping center opportunities so candidates can align a lease and franchise agreement on the same timeline.
“We started franchising last September. We officially got approved for the FDD, and now we already have four or five committed,” Kanematsu said. “They are already signed or ready to sign the agreement.”
In shopping centers, most guests make fast decisions. Onigilly is built for that kind of traffic — quick to order, easy to carry and different enough to stand out from the standard food court routine.
“People’s options are to go to your food court and get a heavy, greasy meal or get a pretzel, but we added a third option,” Kanematsu said. “So we are popular in shopping centers.”
Heading into 2026, Onigilly plans to keep growing with a measured approach, lining up strong operators with the right sites and focusing on expansion in California markets it knows well. The goal is to help new owners get their first unit running smoothly, then scale from there. The brand’s broader ambition remains national accessibility for onigiri, but the near-term focus is disciplined execution and repeatable openings.
“Next year, we keep the same strategy. We are actively looking for more locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego,” Kanematsu said. “We could go a little faster as we learn this year.”
With a compact footprint, a simplified build and a site-first approach to development, Onigilly is positioning itself to grow without losing the consistency it spent years building. As the brand adds new locations and deepens its presence in key California markets, it is aiming to give franchisees a clear path to launch, learn and scale at a steady pace.
Stay tuned throughout the rest of the month for 1851 Franchise's full Fastest Growing Emerging Franchises series to explore the other innovative brands making waves in the industry.
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