With 34 locations and an additional 14 coming up, Sushi Sake founder and owner Angel Aguayo is on a mission to bring his beloved dining concept to families and neighborhoods all over Florida and beyond. We chatted with him on the past 15 years and learn what the future holds.
Seating inside Sushi Sake South Beach. PHOTO BY MICHAEL PISARRI
Entrepreneur and restauranteur Angel Aguayo set out to make his dreams a reality 15 years ago when he opened his first Sushi Sake location in Miami. He combined a love for his two favorite cuisines—a teppanyaki house and a sushi restaurant—into one restaurant specializing in high-quality Asian cuisine for families. Unifying neighborhoods throughout Miami over the past 15 years, Aguayo has manifested his dreams with Sushi Sake, now boasting 34 locations and 14 additional up next. With the ability to franchise the brand, the expansion opportunities are endless, and Aguayo has perfected the model to ensure the brand’s success and consistency.
Sushi Sake prides itself on always providing fresh, high-quality fish. Photography By Michael Pisarri Shot On Site At Sushi Sake South Beach
“For me, ensuring the brand identity when franchising is the hardest part,” he notes. “At first, it was tough for me to let go, as I’m a bit of a control freak. But from the beginning, I created a system for everything. That’s how I was able to grow. The management part of the franchise system is one of the hardest parts to create—you have to ensure that each location follows protocol and maintains the same pricing across the board. We have a great platform now that gives us full visibility, and I can see the purchasing. If anything shows up as one location charging even $1 more, we know about it and immediately step in to fix the situation.”
Balancing this process keeps Aguayo busy, but he loves every minute.
Sushi Sake founder Angel Aguayo Photography By Michael Pisarri Shot On Site At Sushi Sake South Beach
“It’s been a ton of work and endless weeks and months, but I love it,” he shares. “I focus a lot of my time on the development side, particularly the construction, the build-outs and layouts of the restaurants. I work directly with my architect to ensure we have a good, working floor plan. Now, we are focusing more on the restaurants with full bars. I don’t want us to be a bar or a club; I want us to be known as a restaurant where you can enjoy a good drink. Our beverage director has helped make that happen.”
Some upcoming locations on the horizon include Tampa, Gainesville, Coral Springs, Tamarac, Miami Gardens and Naples, among others in Florida. However, Aguayo is particularly excited to bring the brand outside of Florida to Las Vegas.
Fresh pieces of nigiri. Photography By Michael Pisarri Shot On Site At Sushi Sake South Beach
“Las Vegas will be a big part of our business and expansion plan. Before the pandemic, I did a lot of franchise shows, but the leads were all gone by the time we were back to normal operating business. During that period, however, we proved that our concept could work and continue to grow. As people slowed down, we looked for more spaces to open new locations,” he says. “In terms of growth, I feel there is no limit, and we will hone in on that, especially in the coming year.”
Sushi Sake’s executive sushi chef Ruen Chun Hsu Photography By Michael Pisarri Shot On Site At Sushi Sake South Beach
While each location features a few chef’s signature dishes—like the newly launched MiMo Roll at its newest MiMo location—Aguayo is firm on the belief that each location should keep the same menu and pricing to maintain consistency.
He shares that the hibachi menus have become extremely popular, and the fried rice is a crowd-pleaser.
"When I first opened Sushi Sake, I wanted there to be something for everyone. I love teppanyaki, and I love sushi... But above all else, the quality is most important to me.” -ANGEL AGUAYO
Torched salmon belly nigiri. Photography By Michael Pisarri Shot On Site At Sushi Sake South Beach
“When I first opened Sushi Sake, I wanted there to be something for everyone. I love teppanyaki, and I love sushi. But those who prefer cooked food can choose from our mouthwatering fried rice, chicken teriyaki, and more. For the seafood lovers, we have amazing seafood combinations and sushi rolls. One of my favorites is the Angel Roll, which remains one of our best-sellers on the menu,” he says. “But above all else, the quality is most important to me. Our meats are never frozen, and I pride ourselves on having top fish quality by working on a direct one-to-one basis with my supplier. Any changes must come through me and be approved. I always say, if the price of the supplies goes up, we also have to go up because we’re not going to sacrifice quality ever.”
Chef’s choice sashimi Photography By Michael Pisarri Shot On Site At Sushi Sake South Beach
Above all else, Aguayo’s secret to managing it all and bringing his dream to life is simple. “Passion and dedication will bring you success,” he asserts. “I don’t look at the business in any other way aside from that I have to get up tomorrow and get back to work—to always keep moving. I feel we’re still in growth mode, and we’re going for 100 locations. That’s my first number; we’ll see where we’re at when that happens. But from here, we’re only going up.”
Photography by: Photo By: Michael Pisarri
