Hot of the heels of opening their seventh restaurant in Westerville, GENJIGO has already started work on its next location.
The fast-casual hibachi concept will head Downtown for restaurant number eight, taking over the former home of Plantain Cafe, which shuttered in April 2020, at 77 E. Gay St.
It will be their first restaurant inside of 270.
“Downtown Columbus has been a priority area for GENJIGO for a few years due to its high-population density and strong foot traffic during lunch and dinner,” says CEO Darrell van Ligten, calling Gay Street an ideal location.
The last year has seen a number of departures from the Downtown dining scene, partly due to daytime workers temporarily to permanently stationed at home because of the pandemic, as well as social justice protests over the summer that left some businesses damaged and others hesitant to come to the area. However, many experts are still bullish on Downtown, as is GENJIGO.
“While the reduction in daytime workers Downtown will no doubt impact lunchtime traffic, continued residential development bodes well for dinnertime traffic, which is the stronger day part for GENJIGO,” van Ligten says.
Westerville’s successful opening in December gave the restaurant group confidence in addressing adaptations and challenges brought on by the pandemic.
“We will take this same approach with our Gay Street location and look forward to safely and successfully operating our Downtown location during the pandemic and afterward,” van Ligten says.
GENJIGO Downtown will offer the same streamlined menu of build your own hibachi bowls as its other locations. Diners choose a base of steamed or fried rice, topped with veggies, protein and yum yum or ginger sauce.
The restaurant is aiming to be open by April.
Van Ligten is excited to bring some positive news Downtown, as well as jobs.
“We are exploring a partnership with the YWCA to help staff our Gay Street location and look forward to working with other government and community leaders to build a more vibrant Downtown,” he says.
In addition to Downtown, GENJIGO has restaurants in Reynoldsburg, Pickerington, Gahanna, Grove City, Lewis Center and Westerville, and a location that is temporarily closed in Blacklick.
GENJIGO will be open from 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. daily
For more information, visit genjigo.com.
