Wichita starting to wonder if this restaurant will ever open. Here’s the latest:
Every now and then, Wichita is promised a restaurant that takes months and months and months to actually materialize, and people start to wonder if the restaurant will ever actually open.
One of the latest in that category is Izumi Sushi & Hibachi, which has been in progress for some time at Greenwich Place, K-96 and Greenwich. Owners first confirmed their plans to open the all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant in November of last year.
At first, they said that Izumi, which is part of a North Dakota-based chain, would open in the former Buffalo Wings and Rings space in January or February of this year. In January, they moved the finish line to June or July. Then in June, they moved it to August or September.
Recently, readers have again been asking about the status of the restaurant. The sign is up, but the front of the building is surrounded by overgrown grass.
Contacted last week, a spokesman for the chain said that the Wichita restaurant is definitely still happening. But there’s a new timeline. They now hope to have it open around Thanksgiving. The remodel took longer than expected, he said, promising that it would be worth the wait.
Recently, the chain has expanded into other towns, including Omaha, whose Izumi opened in April; Gulfport, Mississippi, which got an Izumi in June; and Pensacola, Florida, where the chain opened a restaurant last month.
Izumi, which at the moment has 10 operating restaurants, also announced in April that it was adding one in Topeka and that it would be open around Thanksgiving.
Though Izumi offers all-you-can eat sushi, it won’t have a buffet line. Rather, customers will get a sheet of paper and will indicate which items they want. Choices will include fresh sushi, hibachi items, teriyaki chicken and steak, and several appetizers.
Customers will pay a flat price, which will be less expensive at lunch than dinner, and will be able to order all the items they want.
Stay tuned for updates.
This story was originally published September 21, 2026 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Wichita starting to wonder if this restaurant will ever open. Here’s the latest:."
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