Ariake Grille & Sushi Bar opens today in Bellbrook
Oct. 31—Ariake Grille & Sushi Bar, located at 4457 W. Franklin Street in Bellbrook, is holding a soft opening today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The restaurant is going into the former space of Zemore's Wine Cellar and Bistro in Bellbrook. The boutique establishment that featured wines not typically found in your local grocery store closed in July.
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Maria Kim, the owner of Ariake Grille & Sushi Bar, told Dayton.com with assistance from her daughter, Gabriela, that after the success of her first restaurant, it only made since to open a second location.
After moving to the Dayton area from New Mexico, Maria bought Ariake Grille & Sushi Bar, located at 59 Fiesta Lane in Miamisburg. She explained the original owners opened the restaurant seven to eight years ago and she took over four-and-a-half years ago.
"My mom has a huge passion for Asian cuisine in general, not just Japanese cuisine," Gabriela said. "She saw it as a good opportunity to continue evolving in her passion."
Maria explained she is from Brazil where there is a large Japanese and Korean population.
"The culture is very rich there," Gabriela said. "I think it was just from friends and meeting my father, who is Korean, that she really loved the culture and cuisine and became very interested in it."
Maria said another reason she opened a second restaurant location was to create something to pass down to her children.
"It's about creating a legacy and leaving a legacy for her family," Gabriela added.
The Bellbrook location will have a full bar and additional appetizers and specials, Maria explained. She also said she is planning to offer a ladies night where there will be signature drinks or sushi rolls.
Maria explained she is excited to put a different twist on the new restaurant location and get to know new neighbors and customers.
"She just wants to provide the ultimate customer service experience," Gabriela said. "Whether it comes to service, food or drinks, she just wants to really take care of the people of Bellbrook."
The restaurant's regular hours will begin Nov. 1: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
For more information about Ariake Grille & Sushi Bar, visit the restaurant's Facebook page.
