A New Sushi Restaurant is Coming to Downtown Cedar Rapids

Since the closing of the sushi restaurant Wasabi, the building at 221 2nd Ave SE in downtown Cedar Rapids has been empty. It looks like that may change in the near future! Just a few weeks ago, we noticed that a new sign went up in front of the building indicating that a new restaurant is moving in, and it's called Izumi Sushi & Hibachi.

After doing a bit of sleuthing online, I discovered that Izumi Sushi & Hibachi is based out of North Dakota. There are currently three locations, including two in Fargo and one in Jamestown. The Cedar Rapids restaurant will be the fourth to open, and it will be the first one here in the state of Iowa. There is no additional information on the website aside from the downtown Cedar Rapids address and the words, "Coming Soon."

According to the website, Izumi serves "all your favorite Japanese dishes, including Tempura, Teriyaki, Hibachi, Udon, Sushi, Sashimi, Classic Roll and Hand Roll, Chef Special Roll, & etc..." At least two of the restaurants offer an "all you can eat" option for lunch and dinner, and they all have a pretty extensive menu!

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Wasabi ever officially announced their closure, which means we never got an explanation as to why they closed. The website has been taken down, but the Facebook page is still active, with the last update posted August 12th of 2020. It's a bummer that they shut down, but we are happy to see another sushi and hibachi restaurant moving in! We will update you when we know more information, but you can also check for updates on the official website HERE.