Umami Mart, Kayoko Akabori and Yoko Kumano
Kayoko Abakori and and Yoko Kumano founded Umami Mart as an international food + drink blog in 2007.
In 2012, they opened their retail shop, Umami Mart, in Oakland. It is a curation of bar tools and glassware from Japan, as well as a bottle shop dedicated to sake, shochu, Japanese whisky, and beer. In 2019 they opened a cozy bar in the back of the retail shop – a hub for many events, community gatherings, and beloved regulars.
(Left, Co-Founder Kayoko Abakori, Right Co-Founder Yoko Kumano)
Their customers include locals interested in food and drink, as well as people nationwide who are interested in Japanese culture and cuisine.
“SCORE has helped us since the beginning of our business in 2012. We visited the local SCORE office in Old Oakland prior to signing a lease to move into our first brick-and-mortar space. We were given advice on how to plan in advance and delegate duties amongst ourselves (at the time Kayoko and I, the owners, were the only ones working here).”
“SCORE also helped us immensely during the COVID outbreak in guiding us through the CARES Act.”
“We are very grateful that SCORE is a resource available to us! Everyone at SCORE has provided us with thorough and sound advice. It is a great resource and we refer new entrepreneurs to SCORE as well. Thank you for your help!