The cult-like popularity of chain restaurant Sushiro has reportedly spawned a market for fake queue tickets, taking advantage of conveyer belt sushi fans unwilling to wait in line hours for affordable Japanese food.
A Facebook post shared to the group “Hong Kong Sushi and Sashimi Concern Group” Monday purports to show two queue tickets for a Sushiro restaurant, one real and one fake.
In the post, the Facebook user lists the tell-tale signs of a fake queue ticket, including inconsistent fonts and the quality of the paper.
“Crazy, even eating sushi can involve forged documents,” one person commented.
Known for its affordable sushi, the novelty of Sushiro—which opened in Hong Kong in 2019—is yet to wear off. The restaurants continue to attract customers willing to arrive at the restaurant more than an hour in advance to get a queue ticket.
The conveyer belt sushi chain has 11 outlets in Hong Kong, including in Sheung Wan, Mong Kok, Tuen Mun and Tai Po.
The restaurant does not accept bookings. Sensing a business opportunity, people have taken to selling their tickets on online platforms like Carousell for as much as HK$60 (US$7.70).
It’s not clear where the counterfeit tickets are being peddled. Coconuts has reached out to the restaurant about whether it is aware of reports about fraudulent queue tickets.
Sushiro has almost 600 stores in Japan, and also has restaurants in Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea.
Read more: Taxi driver told passenger his ‘chest hurts’ before losing control, crashing vehicle
