restaurant – Hissho Sushi Beer Bar

November 10, 2020 News by clapcreative 0 Comments

Yahoo! Style: Walmart Is Adding a Beer and Sushi Restaurant Inside This Location

Article Originally Published on Yahoo! Style, click here to read the original by Cheyenne Buckingham

Imagine a world where you walk into Walmart and order a plate of sushi and a few beers to share with friends. For some Walmart shoppers, this could be a new reality.

A Walmart Supercenter in Rogers, Arkansas (located in the Ozarks!) will be introducing an upscale sushi restaurant in their store soon. At the restaurant, shoppers will be able to choose from an assortment of hand-rolled sushi made by “highly-trained” sushi chefs as well as hot appetizers including dim sum and Asian chicken wings.

To wash down that crunchy shrimp roll, patrons will be able to order from a list of eight wines and 12 rotating beers on tap, some of which will be featured from a local brewery in town called Bike Rack Brewing Company. Not only will this restaurant tailor to your happy hour and dinner needs, but it will also satisfy your breakfast cravings as well. In the mornings, the establishment will serve healthy options including avocado toast, acai bowls, and smoothies.

So, why put a sushi restaurant inside of a Walmart? Well, the concept isn’t as random as it may appear. Walmart is partnering with Hissho Sushi and Craft Beer Bar to make this idea come to life, but this isn’t the first time the grocery giant has worked with the nation’s second-largest sushi provider. In fact, a few Walmart locations in Charlotte, North Carolina launched “Hissho on the Go” last year where shoppers can purchase pre-made sushi rolls to take home.

Hissho has also partnered with Meijer and helped the grocery chain open its own sushi and craft beer bar inside one of its locations in Brighton, Michigan. However, that was before the pandemic hit. At this new Walmart restaurant, all 20 employees will be required to follow strict hand-washing and sanitation protocols. In addition, the restaurant will only be able to operate at half capacity with tables six feet apart and everyone will be required to wear a mask upon entry.

September 20, 2020 News by clapcreative 0 Comments

Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Sushi, craft beer bar chain opens 1st state site in Rogers Walmart

Article Originally Published on Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, click here to read the original by John Magsam

ROGERS — Hissho Sushi and Craft Beer Bar, the chain’s first location in Arkansas, is now open inside a Rogers Walmart Supercenter.

The 2,000-square-foot location inside the Pleasant Crossing Boulevard Walmart store includes a sit-down restaurant and bar as well as takeout and plans are to eventually offer some delivery options. The location will feature craft beer from Bentonville-based Bike Rack Brewing Co., along with selections from other area craft brewers. It’s expected to eventually employ about 20 hourly workers.

The format is the company’s second sushi bar and craft beer bar combo — it has a similar set up in a Meijer supermarket in Michigan. Other Hissho locations are typically partnered with a retail spot, like a grocery store deli, university, or hospital and offer fresh grab and go sushi made by a sushi chef on-site daily.

Hissho Sushi is based in Charlotte, N.C. and is the nation’s second-largest franchise sushi chain, according to the company. It was founded in 1998 and has nearly 2,000 locations in 42 states.

“We think this is a dynamite location for us,” John Golaszewski, director of nontraditional operations for Hissho Sushi, said regarding the Rogers operation.

The sushi spot in Rogers offers hot foods as well, including Asian chicken wings, boom boom shrimp and dim sum and a selection of craft beers, as well as wine. There are breakfast options, too, like avocado toast, acai bowls and smoothies.

According to IBIS World, the sushi restaurant industry, like the restaurant industry as a whole, is expected to take a hit in 2020 from reduced customer spending because of the covid-19 pandemic. According to data from the National Restaurant Association, the food service industry has lost $165 billion in sales for March through July, and could lose $240 billion by the end of the year, due to the pandemic.

The market size of the sushi restaurant segment for 2020, based on revenue, is $20 billion, and IBIS World predicts a revenue decline of 9.9% for the year. Between 2015 and 2020, the market size saw average annual growth of 1.1%.

Capacity at the Hissho Sushi and Craft Beer Bar in Rogers will be limited to 50% currently per covid-19 requirements and chairs and tables will be placed to adhere to social distancing requirements, according to the company. All employees will receive training on hand washing and sanitation requirements, be screened prior to their shifts, and be required to wear masks.

The dine-in area of the restaurant includes transparent partitions at the sushi bar seating area as well as at some of the larger table setups. The location also has patio seating.

In an emailed statement, Avani Dudhia, a Walmart spokeswoman, said the company is excited to bring the new Hissho Sushi and Craft Beer Bar to its customers in Rogers, adding that it will appeal to a wide variety of folks, from parents who need to pick up a meal after shopping to friends looking for a quick escape after work.

Jeff Charlson, co-founder of Bike Rack Brewing Co., said the company was eager to work with Hissho. Charlson said the brewer is working closely with Hissho to educate it not only about Bike Rack’s products but also the whole Northwest Arkansas brewing scene. The beer offerings at the sushi bar will include brews from several other local craft beer makers.

In 2018, Bike Rack Brewing was the fourth-largest craft beer producer in the state with 2,404 barrels, according to data from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. In 2018, the state’s top five craft beer makers accounted for 27,686 barrels, or 73% of the state’s total beer production. Lost Forty Brewery in Little Rock produced the lion’s share with 14,250 barrels, or nearly 40% of the state’s total.

Hissho’s Golaszewski said the company is committed to featuring Northwest Arkansas brewers alongside its sushi and other menu items.

“You won’t be able to buy a Budweiser here,” he said.

September 10, 2020 News by clapcreative 0 Comments

Eat This, Not That!: Walmart Is Adding a Beer and Sushi Restaurant Inside This Location

Article Originally Published on Eat This, Not That!, click here to read the original by Cheyenne Buckingham

Imagine a world where you walk into Walmart and order a plate of sushi and a few beers to share with friends. For some Walmart shoppers, this could be a new reality.

Don’t miss the 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback.

September 10, 2020 News by clapcreative 0 Comments

MSN Style: Walmart Is Adding a Beer and Sushi Restaurant Inside This Location

Article Originally Published on MSN Style, click here to read the original by Cheyenne Buckingham

Imagine a world where you walk into Walmart and order a plate of sushi and a few beers to share with friends. For some Walmart shoppers, this could be a new reality.

September 9, 2020 News by clapcreative 0 Comments

Grocery Dive: Walmart elevates meal options with sushi and craft beer restaurant

Article Originally Published on Grocery Dive, click here to read the original by Krishna Thakker

Dive Brief:

Walmart is partnering with Hissho Sushi and Craft Beer Bar to launch the concept inside a Walmart Supercenter in Rogers, Arkansas, according to a press release. The sushi restaurant serves items including hand-rolled sushi and hot appetizers and will employ 20 people, including highly trained sushi chefs.
Selections on the menu include California rolls, as well as spicy red pepper and crunchy shrimp rolls. Hot appetizers include Asian chicken wings, shrimp, dim sum and a list of eight wines and 12 rotating beers on tap featuring beers from local brewery Bike Rack Brewing Company. The restaurant also serves breakfast items like avocado toast, acai bowls and fruit smoothies.
To open its in-store restaurant during COVID-19, Walmart and Hissho will provide employees with training focused on hand-washing and sanitation and require them to wear masks and be screened before each shift. The restaurant will also be operating at half capacity with tables and chairs spread six feet apart, and require customers to wear a mask to enter, per Arkansas’ guidelines.

Dive Insight:

While many customers are still choosing to cook at home and skipping the dine-in restaurant experience due to safety concerns, Walmart’s full-service, in-store restaurant signals the grocer’s interest in elevating its meal options. Although the grocer has always offered the typical supermarket prepared foods like fried chicken and deli items, shoppers are looking for new dishes, and innovation is key in keeping them interested.

Supermarket prepared foods represent the fastest-growing sector of the foodservice industry and exceed $12.7 billion in annual sales, according to FMI. While sushi has always been a supermarket staple, consumers have shifted to wanting more than just a grab-and-go selection.

Walmart has worked with Hissho, the nation’s second-largest sushi provider, in the past. The grocer launched “Hissho on the Go” at Walmart locations in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area late last year. Hissho chefs make hand-rolled sushi off-site daily for delivery to the stores.

Prior to Walmart, Hissho partnered with Meijer right before the pandemic to open its craft beer and sushi bar inside a location in Brighton, Michigan. The restaurant features offerings similar to what Walmart’s Hissho restaurant sells, but works with a different local brewery.

In addition, Hy-Vee and QFC recently opened sushi bars inside new stores, Wegmans now offers sushi to-go through its delivery app and Target tested a sustainable sushi line in 2018.

September 8, 2020 News by clapc