KURA SUSHI USA, INC. (KRUS)

Business overview

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Management discussion and analysis

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Comparable Restaurant Sales Growth.” Our failure to manage our growth effectively could harm our business and operating results. Our growth plan includes opening new restaurants. Our existing restaurant management systems, financial and management controls and information systems may be inadequate to support our planned expansion. Managing our 18 growth effectively will require us to continue to enhance these systems, procedures and controls and to hire, train and retain managers and team members. We may not respond quickly enough to the changing demands that our expansion will impose on our management, restaurant teams and existing infrastructure, which could harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our limited number of restaurants, the significant expense associated with opening new restaurants, and the unit volumes of our new restaurants makes us susceptible to significant fluctuations in our results of operations. The capital resources required to develop each new restaurant are significant. On average, our restaurants opened during fiscal year 2025 required a cash build-out cost of approximately $2. 5 million per restaurant, net of landlord tenant improvement allowances and assuming that we do not purchase the underlying real estate. Actual costs may vary significantly depending upon a variety of factors, including the site and size of the restaurant and conditions in the local real estate and labor markets.

The combination of our relatively small number of existing restaurants, the significant investment associated with each new restaurant, variance in the operating results in any one restaurant, or a delay or cancellation in the planned opening of a restaurant could materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Our restaurant base is geographically concentrated in California and Texas, and we could be negatively affected by conditions specific to these states. Approximately 44% of our restaurants are located in California and Texas. Adverse changes in demographic, unemployment, economic, regulatory or weather conditions in California and Texas have had, and may continue to have, material adverse effects on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

As a result of our concentration in these markets, we have been, and in the future may be, disproportionately affected by adverse conditions in either of these markets compared to other chain restaurants with a broader national footprint. A decline in visitors to any of the retail centers, shopping malls, lifestyle centers, or entertainment centers where our restaurants are located could negatively affect our restaurant sales. Our restaurants are primarily located in high-activity areas such as retail centers, shopping malls, lifestyle centers, and entertainment centers. We depend on high visitor rates at these centers to attract guests to our restaurants. Factors that may result in declining visitor rates include public health pandemics, economic or political conditions, anchor tenants closing in retail centers or shopping malls in which we operate, changes in consumer preferences or shopping patterns, changes in discretionary consumer spending, increasing petroleum prices, or other factors, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Relationships with Kura Japan and Other Key Suppliers We have historically received strategic, operational and financial support from Kura Japan, and as we increase our independence from Kura Japan, we may face difficulties replacing certain services, supplies and financial assistance Kura Japan has provided to us. We have been a subsidiary of Kura Japan since 2008 and have benefited from our relationship as a consolidated and wholly-owned subsidiary. We are a majority owned subsidiary of Kura Japan and we utilize Kura Japan for certain strategic, operational and financial support. Our future results depend on various factors, including those identified in these risk factors. 19 Kura Japan provides us from time to time with employees from its operations in Japan to assist us with meeting our workforce requirements and opening new restaurants.

We also benefit from the intellectual property that we license from Kura Japan in the operation of our business. Future sales of our shares by Kura Japan could depress our Class A common stock price. If Kura Japan’s ownership interest in our company declines significantly in the future, this may affect our ongoing relationship. We have a shared services agreement and an amended and restated exclusive license agreement with Kura Japan, which memorialize our existing business relationship. […]

Key risk disclosures

Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure.” Our Strengths Authentic Japanese Cuisine—A Tribute to Our Roots . We provide our guests with a Kura Experience that is uniquely Japanese and is based on the legacy built by Kura Japan. Kura Japan opened its first revolving sushi restaurant in 1984 and was among the pioneers of the revolving sushi restaurant model. Our various sushi items are made fresh using high-quality fish and rice. Our vinegar, made using old-world methods, is sourced from Japan.

Our broths are made in-house daily using ingredients that impart complex umami flavors. To complement our sushi selection, we offer a variety of side dishes and desserts including gyoza, tempura, soups, ramen, mochi, and cheesecake. In our commitment to our Japanese heritage and traditional cooking methods, we have prepared our food without artificial sweeteners, seasonings, colorings, or preservatives since our formation. “Revolutionary” and Engaging Dining Experience . The Kura Experience is a multi-sensory experience for our guests comprised of the sight of our beautifully crafted cuisine weaving through our restaurants, the motion of dishes zipping by tables on the express belt, robots delivering drinks and condiments, the sound of anime videos playing on tableside touch screens, the thrill of being rewarded for achieving dining milestones, and the flavor of authentic Japanese dishes, which collectively create a highly entertaining and engaging environment for our guests.

Our revolving conveyor belt service model offers a steady stream of dishes and continuous service which we believe builds anticipation and a sense of discovery among our guests. To simplify the guest experience, all plates on the revolving conveyor belt are the same price within a restaurant. In addition, items ordered on our on-demand screen arrive on the express belt in a theatrical fashion, which we believe our guests find entertaining and adds to the sense of constant motion in our restaurants. Our menu of small plates allows our guests to sample a variety of dishes, and with approximately 130 items on our menu, there is always something new to enjoy when our guests return.

We also seek to delight and reward our guests for achieving dining milestones with short anime videos and a rotating selection of small toys from our Bikkura-Pon rewards machines. Our proprietary tableside Bikkura-Pon rewards machine dispenses a toy after guests reach certain dining milestones. We believe our Bikkura-Pon rewards machines encourage guests to consume a greater quantity of plates as they work towards achieving the next dining milestone. Our continuous service model creates an atmosphere of active participation where food is at the center of the conversation, and we believe it also creates a memorable and shareable experience for our guests. 5 Compelling Value Proposition with Broad Appeal . Our service model allows our guests to control their dining experience, from food variety to time spent on a meal, and from portions to check size.

With instant access to food on the revolving conveyor belt, our guests can drop in for a quick meal or stay longer for a more relaxed dining experience. Our guests can enjoy high-quality dishes at affordable prices because of our efficient kitchen operations and low front-of-house labor needs. The average plate price on the revolving conveyor belt of our restaurants is around $3. 79, which appeals to guests with appetites and budgets both large and small. We believe that our authentic approach to a popular cuisine and unique and flexible dining experience appeal to a wide range of demographics. In addition, we believe our commitment to high-quality and non-artificial ingredients in our food is at the forefront of current dining trends as consumers continue to seek healthy and natural food options.

Highly Attractive Restaurant-Level Economics . At Kura Sushi, we leverage the disciplined operational expertise honed over the more than 45-year history of Kura Japan to help us achieve strong restaurant-level economics. We believe our results are driven by our high-volume restaurants, intelligent and efficient operations, and flexible real estate model: • High-Volume Restaurants: We believe the combination of authentic Japanese cuisine at an accessible price point and a service model that promotes discovery, fun, and optionality for guests creates a highly differentiated dining experience that drives traffic and robust sales in our restaurants; • Intelligent and Efficient Operations: Our revolving conveyor belt, express belt, and touch screen menu enable self-service dining and reduce our need for service staff. […]

Source and methodology

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