Colloquially known as rice balls, onigiri is generally pressed to look more like a doughy triangle, wrapped in nori (dried seaweed paper) and filled with bright or savory ingredients like umeboshi (sour plum) or unagi (braised eel). Onigilly Japanese Kitchen founder Koji Kanematsu first started selling onigiri out of a food cart in San Francisco in 2007, eventually expanding to seven locations across the Bay.
Now, Onigilly is betting big on a southern expansion, bringing its rice balls to 20 locations across Southern California throughout 2026, according to an article from L.A. Business First.
A representative of Onigilly told What Now Los Angeles that these 20 new locations will be a mix of franchised and corporate-owned locations. The chain has already secured franchised locations in Brea Mall and Del Amo Fashion Mall (Torrance).”We have a couple more lined up for later this month,” the representative said. What Now San Diego previously reported that a franchised Onigilly was headed to San Diego, set for an April 2026 opening.
Unsurprisingly, onigiri is the belle of the (rice) ball at Onigilly, with over 30 options. However, Onigilly also offers poke bowls with customizable toppings from the onigiri menu. According to Onigilly’s website, the restaurant’s goal was to bring onigiri into the light and out from the shadow cast by sushi, “one delicious bite at a time.” With Onigilly rolling out 20 locations to SoCal and eyes on an East Coast expansion, the chain is well on its way to doing just that.
“We have found incredible sites in those markets that meet our performance KPIs, and are in discussions with qualified individuals, but they’re not in contract just yet,” Kevin Siegel, Onigilly Director of Franchise Development, said to What Now via a representative. “As a part of our strategy and to optimally support our franchisees, we’re also planning to open corporate locations in these markets. We’re also focusing on WA-Seattle, Nevada- Reno, and LV, and Hawaii in 2026.”
