Patent Attorney and Founder
You’re going to make $300,000 pre-tax on over $5 million in sales.
That sounds strong.
Five million in revenue is not small.
But investors don’t celebrate revenue. They study profit.
So when someone says, “I’ll give you $1.5 million for 25% of the West Coast,” the math starts moving.
That offer values the deal at about twenty times pre-tax earnings.
That’s high.
One investor doesn’t pause.
“I think the valuation is insane. I’m out.”
And just like that, the mood changes.
It’s no longer about sushi. It’s about risk.
Numbers tell part of the story. Vision tells the rest.
The bigger question is simple.
What’s the long-term plan?
Food trends move fast.
One year people want keto. The next year it’s plant-based. Then it shifts again.
If you’re building a brand, you need more than a trend.
You need staying power.
The founder explains the concept.
This isn’t fake fish.
It’s not lab food.
It’s fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole ingredients.
Plant-based eating keeps growing.
People want lighter meals.
They want food that feels clean.
That shift feels real.
Still, investors think about scale.
“You’re already building on the East Coast,” one says.
New York is tough.
Rent is high.
Labor costs rise every year.
Customers expect a lot.
Now you want to build in Los Angeles too.
From scratch.
No ready-made team waiting there.
No duplicate store prepared.
Just belief and momentum.
That’s where hesitation starts.
“My gut says no. I’m out.”
Gut instinct in business often comes from past losses.
Then another issue surfaces.
Alignment.
One investor doesn’t like the structure.
They’re offered 5% in the main company.
But they’re asked to invest $1.5 million into a new region that may not succeed.
That feels uneven.
You’re putting serious money into uncertainty.
Meanwhile, you own a small slice of the proven store.
That creates tension.
There’s also the issue of time.
If the founder splits time between New York and Los Angeles, who gets priority?
Investors want focus.
If I invest in LA, I want you here.
On site.
Working late.
Solving problems in person.
So the message becomes clear.
“Align our interests.”
In simple terms, risk and reward must match.
The founder offers a higher percentage in New York.
Maybe 10% instead of five.
“How much higher?” comes the reply.
Now the negotiation tightens.
Then two investors step in together.
They offer more than money.
They offer connections.
Airports.
Stadiums.
National exposure.
Cross promotion across their networks.
They believe plant-based food may perform even better on the West Coast.
But belief needs motivation.
The offer is clear.
30% in Los Angeles.
15% in New York.
Now the founder must choose.
Yes.
No.
Or counter.
Deals often come down to small adjustments.
Two or three percent can change how someone feels.
Negotiation is rarely about numbers alone.
It’s about fairness.
What viewers often miss is this.
A handshake on television does not guarantee a final deal.
After filming, lawyers review everything.
Terms shift.
Sometimes the deal never closes.
That’s normal in business.
Now move ahead a few years.
The company faced COVID.
Restaurants everywhere struggled.
Dining rooms closed.
Bills stacked up.
Staff were cut.
Many brands disappeared.
They survived.
They partnered with plant-based groups.
They joined vendor events.
They reopened in new cities.
Now they generate five to six million dollars a year.
They even opened a second concept in New York.
Survival matters.
Now let’s shift to brand protection.
The name “Beyond Sushi” is suggestive.
It hints at something different from traditional sushi.
That type of name is often strong for trademarks.
It does not fully describe the product.
That helps with registration.
But filing one trademark is not enough.
They registered protection for prepared food items.
That covers the product itself.
But what about restaurant services?
That falls under a different class.
If you don’t file there, you leave a gap.
And gaps invite copycats.
Restaurants are easy to copy.
One viral concept in New York can appear in Los Angeles within months.
Similar name.
Similar design.
Similar colors.
If you plan to expand or franchise, your trademark portfolio must be solid.
That includes:
Protecting the word mark.
Protecting the logo.
Filing under restaurant services.
Considering protection for signature dish names.
Brand value grows slowly.
But only if it’s protected.
Now think about patents.
Could plant-based sushi be patented?
Probably not.
Recipes change.
Presentation changes.
Ingredients rotate.
You could attempt a design patent for a specific look.
But food styles evolve.
Design patents work best when the look stays fixed.
Restaurants thrive on change.
So trademarks matter more than patents here.
Next, consider photos.
Food sells through images.
When people search for places to eat, they scroll pictures first.
Color matters.
Texture matters.
Lighting matters.
If it looks fresh, people visit.
If it looks dull, they scroll away.
Professional photos are assets.
If you hire a photographer, confirm you own the rights.
Register key images if they drive traffic.
Also check your website basics.
Do you have a privacy policy?
Is there a cookie notice?
Does the footer clearly state ownership?
These seem small.
They are not.
Accessibility also matters.
Alt text helps users with screen readers.
It also lowers legal risk.
Simple adjustments protect the brand.
Now let’s discuss marketing.
Food content performs well online.
Short videos of food preparation draw attention.
Knife sounds.
Sauce drips.
Steam rising.
These details feel real.
Many brands keep social media polished.
But polished does not always connect.
Raw moments build trust.
Show the kitchen rush.
Show staff preparing dishes.
Show real customer reactions.
Plant-based food connects to identity.
People choose it for personal reasons.
Health.
Ethics.
Environment.
Community.
Share the founder story.
Why start this concept?
What was the hardest moment?
What nearly caused failure?
Those stories build loyalty.
Now return to valuation.
Was twenty times earnings too high?
From a strict financial view, maybe.
From a growth view, maybe not.
Investors price for protection.
Founders price for possibility.
That difference creates tension.
Neither side is wrong.
They simply calculate risk differently.
The strongest deals create alignment.
If both sides benefit from growth, the partnership works.
If one side feels stretched, cracks appear later.
Beyond Sushi continued without the final TV deal.
That matters.
Television helps exposure.
But daily execution drives growth.
You still open the doors each morning.
You manage food costs.
You train staff.
You maintain quality.
You protect the brand.
Slow, steady growth often outlasts flashy moments.
If you are building a restaurant, think long term.
Will your name hold value in five years?
Is your brand protected in each city?
Are investors aligned with your goals?
Do your systems support growth?
These questions matter more than a dramatic pitch.
Sushi is the product.
Structure is the business.
Ownership.
Protection.
Focus.
Those elements determine survival.
Even strong revenue cannot fix poor structure.
Business grows through discipline.
Clear agreements.
Smart filings.
Careful expansion.
Sometimes walking away from a deal is wise.
Not all money helps.
Some money brings pressure that shifts focus.
Equity splits can create stress later.
A founder must ask a simple question.
Does this partner strengthen the long-term plan?
If yes, sharing equity may be worth it.
If no, control becomes more important.
Expansion across coasts sounds exciting.
But growth too fast can strain operations.
Each city brings new suppliers.
New staff.
New rules.
It is not copy and paste.
It is rebuild and adapt.
That takes time.
It takes attention.
It takes aligned partners.
Plant-based trends will shift over time.
Some ideas fade.
Others evolve.
Brands built on solid systems last longer than trends.
Revenue draws attention.
Structure keeps the doors open.
In the end, survival is success.
Five million in sales looks impressive.
But discipline builds durability.
Alignment protects relationships.
Protection secures the brand.
Focus drives execution.
When those pieces fit, growth follows.
When they don’t, even strong numbers cannot save the business.
That is the real lesson behind the pitch.
Not the handshake.
Not the valuation.
Not the drama.
The lesson is simple.
Build carefully.
Protect wisely.
Grow with intention.
And choose partners who see the future the same way you do.
That approach may not look flashy on television.
But it builds companies that last.