Posted:16-September-2025
Women in Business: Succeeding with The Sushi Co
Samira Fazli became the franchisee for The Sushi Co in Harringay, opening the new store in March 2025. She talks about her journey and success with The Sushi Co.
Samira says: “I have worked in several different companies including H&M, Primark so I’m used to being in a customer focused environment. I also worked at Wingstop as a shift manager and at Costa Coffee where I learned a lot about the food industry. I also worked for a couple of years at The Sushi Co in Woodford as a manager.
“Woodford is run by my husband Alex and when the Harringay site became available, I asked if he’d like to buy the franchise? We knew it was a really good area but Alex was busy with Woodford so declined. However, I was so inspired by the opportunity to buy and manage the franchised site myself, I went for it!
“Running my own business means I can now balance my home-work life much better. I have four children plus a puppy, therefore, being able to manage my own hours is helpful. I certainly wouldn’t go back to being an employee, needing to clock in and clock out to a defined schedule.
“The Harringay opening was an exciting time! The Sushi Co’s management team were incredibly supportive. The founders Raheel Choudhary and Sama Varanand Reddy and Haran Thushiharan were all there for the first week and even Raheel’s family joined us too to ensure we got off to a great start. It was a good they did, as we were really busy from day one. Their experience was invaluable and meant we had a super successful launch.
“I’ll be honest, at first it was hard work and it took time to really establish my own team. Now I have some excellent staff who I can rely on, and this has taken the pressure off. I have four sushi chefs plus three people on hot food and five more on front of house or in other roles. I’m personally in-store four-five days per week and my responsibility is to observe and oversee operations. I might also be involved in interviewing or ordering supplies. Life is always varied!
“Since opening, the business has grown and we see many repeat customers. We have a good response to our leafleting campaigns and we encourage customers to order from our own website as this means we achieve better margins than if they order through the aggregators. In addition, we offer discounts to eat in, where we can accommodate about 30 diners. We are open seven days per week so we can always satisfy that sushi craving.
“Customers love our fresh, flavourful sushi and we are getting some great reviews. Our most popular dishes are Chicken Katsu Curry and Rice and also Sweet Chili Chicken and rice or with noodles. My personal favourite is a Bao Bun and Korean Black Pepper Chicken which is delicious.
“As a Sushi Co franchisee, I have faced the challenge of opening my own business. However, I’ve grown in confidence and skills. It is a hands on role and every day is different. Th support from the franchise makes a huge difference and I would recommend it to other women – and men – who are ready to work hard and take charge of their own business.
“I’m so pleased I took the chance to open a Sushi Co franchise. It’s wonderful to be able to supply flavoursome, fresh and healthy food to people in the local area. I am also proud to offer new and unforgettable taste experiences to local customers and look forward to building my business to even greater success in the future.”
The Sushi Co is very much open to offering franchising opportunities to like-minded individuals to take advantage of a proven and profitable business model in an expanding market, supported by a vastly experienced management team.
Interested and want to know more about The Sushi Co?
The The Sushi Co profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
