HAJIME ‘JIMMY’ UBA
CHAIRMAN/CEO
KURA SUSHI USA
WHY: Oversees Irvine-based revolving sushi restaurant chain, valued at around $939M with 64 locations as of October. Reports $187M in systemwide sales and more than 300 employees in OC.
IN THE NEWS: Said customer traffic was outperforming pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and that increased average restaurant volumes helped improve profitability.
NOTABLE: Kura Sushi recorded the largest sales growth on the Business Journal’s annual list of restaurant chains with a 33% increase in 2023 revenue compared to the year prior, good for the No. 15 spot as of May.
QUOTABLE: “In terms of our California markets, our employees are already making wages that are competitive with the $20 that people are going to be making at QSR.”
