The Philadelphia dining scene will be closing out 2025 with a fresh take on Japanese cuisine, courtesy of a Texas restaurant group. Uchi, the Hai Hospitality sushi restaurant helmed by James Beard Award winner Tyson Cole, will be opening a new location in Rittenhouse Square this year, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal.
A press release shared with What Now Philadelphia by Hai Hospitality states that the restaurant will be occupying suite 100 of the Josephine residential building. The space, located at 1620 Sansom Street, will have seating for up to 165 customers. An outdoor seating area will be able to greet 14 of the aforementioned patrons.
According to Hai Hospitality, Cole’s menu for Uchi offers “Japanese cuisine with a nontraditional eye, combining unexpected textures and flavors in ways that ignited a spark of innovation in the modern Japanese culinary space.”
While a precise opening date is not currently available, Hai states they are aiming to open the sushi-centric eatery in late 2025.
Todd Reppert, Hai’s Chief Development Officer, explains why the group chose to export the Texas favorite to the City of Brotherly Love. He states: ““For 2025 we are focused on developing a presence in the compelling Northeast market of the US where we have been tracking a strong following through the success of Uchi in Miami, which many northeasterners have experienced and loved. Looking at all the major cities, Philadelphia became our quick favorite because of its dense Center City neighborhoods that are representative of the idyllic Northeast city: narrow, local retail lined streets; a diverse mix of residents and daytime office workers and busy sidewalks.”
“Uchi” is the Japanese word for home, and it has indeed been making customers feel at home since its opening in Austin in 2003. The eatery is Hai’s flagship restaurant, leading a roster of five other concepts.
