When couple Rav Randhawa and Dana Romano came across growing onigiri-centric chain Onigilly Japanese Kitchen at a trade show in Los Angeles, they were intrigued. Founded by Koji Kanematsu in 2007, the rice-ball chain, which has developed seven locations across the San Francisco Bay area, offers an extensive menu of onigiri options, bowls and sides such as miso soup and edamame.
When Randhawa and Romano toured the corporate locations in the Bay Area and did a taste test of the food, they were impressed and wanted to add it to their burgeoning franchise portfolio.
“For us, the most important thing was to like the product,” Romano told What Now Los Angeles. “We were ready and willing to let the deal fall apart if the food didn’t meet our expectations. We were so excited to have the experience and the food match the innovation that Koji has brought to the concept.”…