Sushi in Australia has come a long way from the corner sushi train of the 1990s. What was once an exotic novelty is now one of the most consumed cuisines in the country. Australians eat more sushi per capita than almost any non-Asian nation, and the sophistication of both the supply and the demand has increased dramatically. But the industry is also facing pressures that will shape its direction over the coming years. Here is where I see things heading.

The Quality Spectrum Is Widening

Fifteen years ago, most sushi in Australia occupied a narrow middle band — not terrible, not exceptional. The top and bottom ends were both thin. That is no longer the case. The range has expanded in both directions.

At the top, Australia now has omakase restaurants that can stand comparison with mid-tier Tokyo establishments. The chefs are trained, often in Japan. The sourcing is meticulous. The rice is made with genuine care. These restaurants charge $200-400 per head and, at their best, deliver an experience that justifies every cent.

At the accessible end, the quality of casual sushi has also improved. Better supply chains, more competition, and a more educated consumer base have pushed even modest sushi shops to lift their standards. The sushi you buy from a good food court in 2026 is meaningfully better than what the same food court served a decade ago.

The middle, however, is getting squeezed. Restaurants that offer neither the polish of fine dining nor the value of quick-service are finding it harder to compete. Diners are increasingly willing to pay a premium for quality or seek out bargains, but they are less interested in paying moderate prices for moderate food.

Sustainability Will Become Non-Negotiable

The conversation about sustainable seafood has been building for years, and I believe we are approaching a tipping point where it moves from a niche concern to a mainstream expectation. Younger diners in particular are asking questions about provenance, fishing methods, and environmental impact.

This will create challenges for the industry. Some of the most popular sushi species — particularly bluefin tuna and freshwater eel — face serious sustainability questions. Restaurants that depend heavily on these species will need to adapt, either by finding sustainable sources, reducing their reliance, or developing alternatives.

It will also create opportunities. Australian waters harbour dozens of species that are abundant, well-managed, and delicious but rarely seen on sushi menus. Chefs who can make sardines, mullet, and leather jacket exciting to sushi diners will find an appreciative audience. The best restaurants are already doing this — using Australian native species creatively and telling the story of why these choices matter.

Technology Will Reshape Operations

The operational side of sushi restaurants is being transformed by technology, and this trend will accelerate. From ordering and inventory management to customer engagement and delivery logistics, digital tools are becoming essential rather than optional.

I have been following how Team400.ai and other technology providers are working with food service businesses to build smarter systems. The applications range from predictive ordering — using data to anticipate what fish will be needed and in what quantities — to automated quality monitoring and dynamic pricing. For sushi restaurants, where ingredient costs are high and waste is expensive, even small improvements in operational efficiency translate to significant financial impact.

The customer-facing side is evolving too. Digital menus, automated reservations, loyalty programs, and delivery integration are all becoming standard. The restaurants that adopt these tools thoughtfully — using technology to improve service rather than replace it — will have a competitive advantage.

New Formats Will Emerge

The hand roll bar trend I wrote about recently is just one example of how the sushi format is diversifying. I expect to see more specialisation: dedicated temaki bars, omakase-only counters, chirashi bowl shops, and sashimi-focused concepts.

This mirrors what happened with coffee, where the category fragmented from “cafe” into espresso bars, filter specialists, cold brew shops, and roaster-cafes, each serving a specific niche. Sushi is deep enough and diverse enough to support similar specialisation.

Pop-ups and temporary concepts will also play a bigger role. The lower overhead of a pop-up format allows chefs to experiment with concepts that might be too risky for a permanent lease, and the scarcity creates buzz. Some of the most exciting sushi meals I have had recently have been at pop-up events.

Training and Talent

One of the biggest challenges facing the Australian sushi industry is talent. Training a sushi chef takes years, and the pipeline of skilled itamae is not growing fast enough to meet the demand created by the expanding market.

Some restaurants are investing in formal training programs. Others are recruiting from Japan or bringing in chefs for residencies. A few are rethinking the traditional model entirely — using specialised equipment and streamlined menus that allow less experienced staff to produce consistent results.

This is a tension the industry will need to manage carefully. The art of sushi depends on human skill and judgment in ways that are difficult to automate. A kaiten restaurant can function with less experienced staff, but an omakase counter cannot. As the market continues to stratify, the training pathways will need to stratify with it.

What Diners Can Do

For those of us who eat sushi rather than make it, the most useful thing we can do is stay curious. Try new restaurants. Ask questions about where the fish comes from. Order the fish you have never tried. Eat seasonally. Support the places that are doing things right — sourcing responsibly, training their staff, making their rice properly.

The sushi landscape in Australia is richer and more diverse than it has ever been, and it is still evolving. The next decade will bring changes that we cannot fully predict, but the direction is clear: more quality at every price point, more diversity in formats and species, and a deeper integration of sustainability and technology into every aspect of the business.

As someone who has been eating and writing about sushi for years, I find this trajectory genuinely exciting. The best sushi in Australia has never been better, and the best sushi of the future will be better still.