An enjoyable meal is the immediate goal for Ferris State University customers of Anu Sushi, but the Grand Rapids-based supplier of that Asian dining staple has more significant motives. Among them is feeding orphans and providing fair and meaningful employment to Myanmar’s refugees.
Director of Dining Services Scott Rossen said that both the product and the philosophy of Anu Sushi were attractive, and he was pleased to receive a 2021 first-quarter report that the company had supplied 964 meals to orphanages in that tempestuous area, based upon campus sales.
“In my professional experience, some of the staff who process sushi are subject to poor treatment in the production process,” Rossen said. “We were impressed by Anu Sushi’s desire to change that dynamic, by providing a better way of life for the workers, and their expressed commitment to support orphanages in Myanmar.”
The company’s Customer Relations Manager Kristi Boomgaard said many of their customers are hospitals, colleges and universities. Their product is presented as a nutritious and easy dining option, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Customers in these types of facilities are looking for a grab-and-go product,” Boomgaard said. “Our branding is focused on our corporate philosophy, ‘Sushi and purpose rolled into one,’ so everyone is aware they are feeding an orphan when they trade with us.”
Boomgaard said Anu Sushi is enjoying success in a time when markets are changeable because of remote business operations as a response to the pandemic.
“We began with a kitchen in Grand Rapids, where Myanmar refugees play key roles in our production,” Boomgaard said. “We have opened kitchens in Novi and Chicago in the last year and are enjoying good business in both those markets.”
Rossen said as the entire Dining Services operation returns in the 2021-22 academic year, they look forward to increased activity and awareness for Anu Sushi selections and other offerings.
“I am more than happy that we can be involved with companies who are focused on this kind of mission and practice,” Rossen said.