Japan-based Food & Life Companies has filed liquor license paperwork with the community board indicating that it is seeking to bring a concept to 661 Eighth Avenue in Midtown. The space was previously home to a Duane Reade drug store.
The company, which has a sushi empire that spans multiple countries including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, China and Indonesia, operates more than 1,000 restaurants globally.
Food & Life Companies just made the leap to the U.S. last spring, opening Sakabayashi Sushi Tavern — one of their brands — in Boston. Other brands in their portfolio include Sugidama and the wildly popular conveyor-belt sushi restaurant Sushiro, both of which have not entered the U.S. market yet.
The paperwork filed with the community board lists the business name as “TBD.” However, the proposed menu attached to the application aligns with the menu displayed on the Sushiro website, indicating that the conveyor-belt sushi concept could be on its way to the city.
The menu features nigiri rolls such as fatty albacore tuna and broiled fatty salmon; Gunkan rolls like chopped tuna and tuna mayo salad; side dishes like udon noodles; desserts like Japanese sweet potato and chocolate cake; and drinks like draft beer and coffee.
Plans indicate cellar, ground and second floor use, with plans for a private event space in the cellar. In total, plans call for 48 tables that will seat 236 customers across the three levels. There will be one service-only bar in the cellar.
There are also plans to change the exterior signage prior to opening. The proposed hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. daily.
Food & Life Companies has been operating since 1975. It aims to introduce sushi culture to the world with a quality hospitality experience, according to its website.
As of now, an opening timeline for the new spot is unclear.
