Conveyor Belt Sushi
California sushi chain takes Plano for a whirl with first Texas restaurant
A kitschy-fun sushi concept from Japan is headed for Texas. Kura Revolving Sushi Bar will open two branches north of Dallas, including one in Plano this spring.
According to a company spokesperson, a second will open in Carrollton later in 2016.
Kura observes the kaiten aka conveyor-belt model, where you pluck sushi items enclosed in little plastic containers as they float past your table. With a few high-end exceptions, all items, including sushi and sushi rolls, are $2.25. It also does other items such as rice cakes and ramen, which you order from a menu board at your table.
Kura advertises that it is organic and MSG-free, using rice from Lundberg Family Farms and real grated wasabi root, not the powdered mix.
Fans appreciate the concept as a fun way to eat sushi. Kura's conveyor has a unique motion which has been compared to a train track in the mountains. It also has a gadget where you insert your used plate into a slot and it tallies your bill. If you order 15 plates, you win prizes, such as a sushi magnet or sticker for your cell phone.
Store openings in California have been met with long lines. This is good news for Dallas, as Dallas loves a line. How else do you know if something is good?
Kura is a rapidly growing chain with more than 375 locations in Japan, plus three branches in Taiwan. It made its debut in the United States in Southern California, where it has nine locations from Los Angeles' Little Tokyo to suburban towns such as Torrance, Brea, and Rancho Cucamonga.
The two branches in Texas will be the first for the company outside of California. The Plano branch will open at 100 Legacy Dr., in a new-ish center on the southwest corner of 75. Kura will join other kaiten options around Dallas such as Kaze on Greenville Avenue and Sushi Envy in Plano. So don't think we don't already have conveyor belt sushi, because we do, okay?
