Whispers has an update on Kemuri West, the second location of the Japanese restaurant that has made a place in the hearts of diners in Little Rock’s Hillcrest neighborhood.
David Bisceglia, the restaurant’s managing partner, tells us early June is the target opening for the spot at 17200 Chenal Parkway in west Little Rock. That’s the former site of Kiyen’s Seafood Steak & Sushi, which relocated to Chef Kiyen Kim’s restaurant KamiKaito in North Little Rock’s Argenta district. That target date, of course, is subject to supply chain and construction challenges, as are many business plans these post-pandemic days.
The 4,900-SF Kemuri West will feature most of the offerings of the Hillcrest Kemuri, along with a few new items. Bisceglia expects to employ about 35 at this second Kemuri, now solely owned by Dr. Meraj Siddiqui of Little Rock.
As for the cost of the new restaurant, Bisceglia declined to give a figure, saying, “It’s going to be twice as expensive as we thought it was going to be, but the end result, the end product, will be well worth it.”
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