Sushi by Bou experiences are curated from the entry and design to music and meals. | Photograph courtesy of Sushi by Bou.
Off of New York Metropolis’s busy Occasions Sq., visitors duck into the Sanctuary Resort, the place they’re directed down a staircase into what was as soon as a baggage space for storing. There, they discover a small sushi bar the place an intimate omakase expertise awaits.
It’s an idea generally known as Sushi by Bou, which launched in 2017 as an “approachable luxurious,” with a 12-course expertise for lower than $100.
Solely that is no staid, hushed sushi service.
The music is full of life. The partitions pop with graffiti-inspired murals. And the aim is for a gaggle of strangers to go away as associates sure by the shared expertise, and maybe just a few cocktails.
“We turned the normal omakase expertise into our personal,” stated CEO Erika London. “Usually, omakases are sterile, inaccessible by value level. They usually normally really feel intimidating due to that value level, and since individuals don’t know what it’s.”
Sushi by Bou retailers have a full bar and have sake, Japanese whiskies and extra. | Photograph courtesy of Sushi by Bou.
That’s why Sushi by Bou payments itself as omakase “for the individuals.”
It’s additionally an idea that proprietor/operator Simplevenue, based mostly in South Florida, is replicating throughout the nation.
There are actually 20 Sushi by Bou retailers, principally in lodges, from a W Resort in Hoboken, New Jersey, to the Peery Resort in Salt Lake Metropolis. A Sushi by Bou is scheduled to open in April on the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland, and it’ll be one of many largest but, serving as much as 16 visitors.
Sure, solely 16. It’s meant to be an intimate affair.
The idea was first launched in partnership with chef David Bouhadana (he is the “bou”), an American chef who educated in Japan, and who based ideas like Sushi On Jones in New York, and Sundown Sushi and Alley Cat Izakaya in Florida.
Bouhadana stays a companion and government chef, however Sushi by Bou has advanced, stated London, a co-founder.
The great thing about the idea is that lodges can take obscure, underutilized areas just about wherever of their buildings to create these speakeasy-vibe, revenue-generating experiences.
None are larger than about 1,000-square toes (they common between 500- and 750-square toes), however London stated the idea is producing a median unit quantity between $1.2 million and $1.8 million.
“The extra undesirable the area is for the resort, the extra fascinating it’s for us,” stated London.
Ushering visitors down some random hallway or into what seems to be a closet simply provides to the individuality of the expertise. And it creates an amenity or vacation spot for the resort.
In reality, no Sushi by Bou expertise is similar, although the menus is likely to be acquainted, they’re very customizable, London stated.
The model has advanced to incorporate three omakase tiers.
The signature tier is about $70 for the 12-courses. Visitors can add in drinks, a la carte gadgets and dessert. A second more-elevated (Bougie Omakase) tier, that includes higher-end dishes, is between $100 to $125.
Then an even-higher-still Reserve tier is $160 to $175, relying on location, with luxurious parts like caviar bumps, foie gras snow, or wagyu upgrades. Visitors would possibly get branded headbands, which provides to the merriment.
Cooks stroll visitors by way of the programs. | Photograph courtesy of Sushi by Bou.
The seatings are timed. The staff-to-guest ratio is excessive. And Simplevenue has developed a number of different omakase-like variations. There’s a plant-based menu known as Omakaseed, and the meat-focused Wagyu Room.
An much more tiny omakase expertise dubbed Sushi Suite is designed for 4 to 6 visitors. It’s hosted in a resort suite, and diners examine in on the resort registration and get a room key, which opens to a magically intimate sushi event (at a better value and for an extended seating time), stated London.
Because the idea has grown throughout the nation, most Sushi by Bou places have been owned and operated by Simplevenue. However London stated the 2 most up-to-date places—Cleveland and Salt Lake Metropolis—have been licensing preparations with the lodges, which is one thing they plan to proceed to discover.
For 2026, the corporate expects to open 11 retailers. Past that, they’re hoping to keep up at the least 10 to 12 extra per 12 months.
Some lodges have taken on multiple idea. The Resort 3232 in New York Metropolis, for instance, has a Sushi by Bou, a Sushi Suite and in addition the Wagyu Room, every in a separate area.
Omakase menus are extensively accessible throughout the nation, stated London.
However most attraction to a really high-end buyer. Sushi by Bou injects some vitality into the expertise, and makes it accessible to common folks—whereas nonetheless additionally interesting to these high-end prospects.
“Every of those has their very own vibe,” stated London. “It’s not solely in regards to the meals. It’s extra about experiential eating.”
