Kura Sushi USA (KRUS) Q2 2026 earnings summary

Executive summary

• Total sales for fiscal Q2 2026 reached $80 million, up from $64.9 million year-over-year, with comparable sales growth of 8.6% driven equally by traffic and price/mix increases.

• Labor leverage improved to 30.7% of sales, a record, due to operational initiatives and higher sales.

• Net loss narrowed to $1.7 million from $3.8 million year-over-year; adjusted net loss (ex-litigation) was $502,000 (-$0.04/share).

• Opened one new restaurant in Q2 and four more post-quarter, expanding to 84 locations as of February 28, 2026, with 16 new openings expected for the year.

• IP collaborations and technology investments, such as reservation system enhancements and dishwashing robots, continue to drive guest engagement and operational efficiency.

Financial highlights

• Quarterly sales reached $80 million, up from $64.9 million year-over-year, with restaurant-level operating profit margin increasing to 18.2% from 17.3%.

• Adjusted EBITDA was $5.5 million, up from $2.7 million in the prior year quarter.

• Operating loss improved to $2.2 million from $4.6 million year-over-year.

• Cash and cash equivalents at quarter-end were $26.6 million, with $21.4 million in short-term investments.

• Food and beverage costs rose to 30.4% of sales, up from 28.7% year-over-year, due to tariffs and commodity inflation.

Outlook and guidance

• Full-year sales guidance raised to $333–$335 million, reflecting Q2 outperformance.

• Expecting 16 new unit openings in fiscal 2026, sustaining over 20% annual unit growth.

• Full-year restaurant-level operating profit margin expected between 18% and 18.5%.

• G&A expenses (ex-litigation) guided to approximately 12% of sales.

• Food and beverage costs as a percentage of sales expected to remain consistent for the remainder of fiscal 2026.