small, only about 750 square feet or so, and will mostly cater to a to-go crowd. She says they’re hoping to hire around 10 or 15 workers. According to a 2011 piece in The New Yorker, aç aí bowls were invented in Brazil and exploded in popularity after taking off in California. —Lee DeVito
FOOD
Baobab Fare’s Burundi coffee is now available at Detroit’s Rivertown Market
A conveyor belt delivers plates of sushi to customers.
EMILY J. DAVIS FOR KURA SUSHI
Bites
Conveyor belt sushi spot Kura Sushi is opening a second location in Michigan By L ee DeV ito
Sushi chain Kura Sushi is
planning on opening a second restaurant in Michigan. The company is known for popularizing the conveyor belt sushi or “sushi train” concept, in which plates of sushi are delivered to customers via conveyor belts. It opened its first Michigan location in Troy in 2021, and the second location is expected to open in Novi this summer. The company was founded in J apan in 1977 and has expanded across the globe, with more than 500 restaurants worldwide. Its Troy location was the first conveyor belt sushi spot to open in Michigan since Sushi Nara in Ann Arbor, which has since closed. The Kura Sushi restaurants use a system utilizing two conveyor belts. The “Revolving Sushi Bar Belt” carries a rotating selection of sushi plates that customers can grab as they please. They can also order their own plates using a touch-screen tablet, which is delivered to the table via the “Express Belt,” or what the company calls a “sushi highway.” The bill is tallied based on plates. The company is also known for
partnering with different brands for its “Bikkura Pon Prize System,” in which guests get a prize for every 15 sushi plates ordered. Kura Sushi also has a reward system were customers can earn $ 5 for every $ 50 spent. According to a press release, “Kurabot” robots will also deliver drinks and condiments to customers’ tables at the Novi location. O brave new world, that has such sushi in it! More information is available at kurasushi.com.
Açaí bowl chain Nautical Bowls is heading to metro Detroit
Minnesota-based aç aí bowl chain Nautical Bowls is expanding across the country, with its first Michigan location expected to open in Royal Oak next month. Katie Fisch, who owns the Michigan franchise with her husband, Dan, says the first Michigan store will be located in the Woodward Corners shopping center at 30955 Woodward Ave., Suite 425, Royal Oak. According to the company’s web-
26 May 11-17, 2022 | metrotimes.com
site, the other Michigan stores will be located in Ann Arbor and Novi, though addresses have not yet been provided. Fisch describes the bowls as a healthy “superfood,” and says that despite the chilled, sorbet-like consistency and sweet flavors, a a bowls are more like meal replacements than desserts. “It’s not like ice cream,” she says. The company sells 10 signature bowls, with the option to build your own using a range of bases, including different fruit blends, and toppings, which include fresh fruit, nuts, and granola. The bowls run from $ 9-$ 15 and are organic, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Fisch says she and her husband learned about the company when he lived in Minnesota. “ e was one of their first customers at their first location,” she says. “We moved back to Michigan, and we just kept going back to see family and we just loved going there. As soon as they started franchising we knew we had to jump on board.” According to the company’s website, it has 72 locations across the country. Fisch says the Royal Oak store will be
Baobab Fare in Detroit’s New Center neighborhood quickly became a favorite in the local restaurant scene after opening in 2021. Now the popular restaurant’s coffee is available at Rivertown Market, which is owned by Meijer. The East African restaurant’s Burundi coffee is grown and harvested near the Matongo village in Burundi. It hit the shelves at Rivertown Market, which is known for selling products from Michigan-grown brands. While Baobab Fare’s signature dish is Nyumbani, beef slow-simmered in tomato sauce with plantains and rice, its coffee also has a distinctly rich flavor. The small-format Meijer is Baobab Fare’s first large vendor and the familyowned restaurant plans to get more products in other large retailers in the future. Meijer has invited local businesses to showcase their products at its Lift Local Supplier event. Eligible businesses can apply by May 20. —R and iah C am ille G reen
Detroit’s Astro Coffee and Ochre Bakery are closing for good
The folks behind Detroit’s popular Astro Coffee and Ochre Bakery spots have apparently called it quits, according to a message posted to the Instagram accounts of both businesses last week. “We have come to the end of this journey,” the post reads. “It’s hard to really know what to say in these moments, but we are forever grateful for all of the love and support we have been shown over the last 11 years of having a business in this city.” The post added that the last day of service at both businesses will be Sunday, May 15. The businesses are owned by J essica Hicks and Daisuke Hughes. Astro Coffee opened in Corktown in 2011, while Ochre Bakery opened in the Core City neighborhood in 2019. In 2020, Astro closed its Corktown location and relocated to its Roastery next-door to Ochre Bakery. Metro Times called the numbers listed for both businesses, but nobody answered. —Lee DeVito
