Japanese Sushi Chain Japnika Transforms Israeli Dining Scene Amid Crime-Linked Attacks
Japnika, a popular sushi chain in Israel, has recently been targeted in a violent crime dispute involving two crime families, Mosli and Jarushi. Over the past days, several Japnika branches in cities including Kiryat Ono, Netanya, Afula, Ramat Gan, Herzliya, and Rosh Pina were attacked with stun grenades, gunfire, and explosive devices, causing significant damage. This criminal conflict has thrust the chain into headlines unrelated to its food.
Before these incidents, Japnika was known for revolutionizing sushi consumption in Israel. Founded in 2004 by Avi and Sharon Liani in a small Tel Aviv location on Dizengoff Street, the chain made sushi affordable and accessible to the masses, breaking away from its previous image as an expensive, exclusive delicacy. The founders introduced a casual, youthful atmosphere with low prices and delivery services, appealing to a broad Israeli audience and inspiring many similar sushi outlets.
By 2015, Japnika had expanded to 25 branches nationwide, employing thousands and generating annual revenues exceeding 200 million shekels. That year, the founders sold the chain to businessman and restaurateur Barak Abramov, a former large franchisee, for approximately 50 million shekels. Abramov continued to grow the brand, maintaining its affordable pricing and expanding to 43 branches, some kosher, according to the chain’s official website.
Abramov, who has past ties to the Mosli crime family but later aligned with their rivals, the Jarushi family, was reportedly targeted as part of the ongoing gang conflict. He was arrested in 2018 on suspicions of money laundering and tax offenses but was cleared of charges in 2022. Despite the recent violence, Japnika remains a significant player in Israel’s sushi market, known for making sushi a daily, accessible food rather than a luxury item.
The chain’s founders declined to comment on the recent events. Japnika’s story reflects both its culinary impact and the complex social challenges it now faces amid criminal violence.
