Good times roll into second location for Koung Sushi Mart

CONCORD — About two years ago, Myint Soe opened a small sushi shop in Laconia. Koung Sushi Mart has been on a roll since, to the point that Soe recently opened a second location, using the same model, on Loudon Road in the state capital.

Soe, a native of Myanmar, already had decades of experience in sushi making before he opened Koung in 2021. That experience included working for a company that made sushi for supermarkets. Through that work, Soe learned the tastes of American sushi fans, and concluded he could do better on his own by paying close attention to the quality of each ingredient — rice, fish, vinegar — and making sure he selected examples of each that would harmonize with the inherent qualities of the others.

Soe isn’t trying to serve the most astounding or creative dishes; instead his goal is to make approachable sushi that’s better than the price suggests. That’s why he calls his business “koung,” which means “good” in his mother tongue.

The business has become a success in Laconia. So, why open a second location? In short, because Soe has a lot of mouths to feed.

“I have a big family group,” Soe said. “So that’s why I decided to open a second store.”

While his adult children and his sister run the shop in Laconia, Soe is focusing on the Concord store, which opened on Dec. 1, which he is running along with help from his cousin, who also has 20 years of sushi-making chops.

Soe said Concord was the right community for his second location, because it was far enough away from Laconia that he could attract new customers, but that there’s enough back-and-forth between the two cities so he would already have some regulars. Indeed, that’s just what happened, as he said about 10% of the customers he’s seen so far in Concord are familiar faces.

In either location, customers will have the same menu — he offers poke bowls and ramen noodle dishes as well as sushi — which are made from the same ingredients.

Unlike Laconia, where sushi was hard to find prior to 2021, Concord already has other established sushi restaurants. That’s part of the reason Koung Sushi Mart 2 is located across the river, at 239 Loudon Road, which Soe figures is close enough to attract customers who live downtown, while not in direct competition with Moritomo or Ichiban. In fact, though they all offer sushi, Koung is pursuing a slightly different model. Soe does have a couple of tables, but his business is set up for customers to either call or order from the counter, then take the food away to eat either at home or work.

In light of that strategy, the Loudon Road location is advantageous. Even though it’s 2.5 miles from downtown, it’s near many residential developments as well as state offices and other businesses.

“This area doesn’t have sushi,” Soe said. “Loudon Road is the business lane. Not so far from downtown, not outside the city.”

If the Concord store does as well as Laconia, Soe said he would like to test the business model a third time, perhaps in Manchester or Nashua.

Soe said that however large his company grows, he will always remember its roots, and said he will always welcome feedback from his customers.

“My business is a New Hampshire business,” Soe said. “If you like, talk to me and make a comment. What do you need in sushi? I will fix everything. I want the advice of the customer.”