VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: First All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Restaurant Opens In Syracuse | NCC News
PAPILLO: Just off of Interstate 81 in North Syracuse, a first-of-its-kind sushi restaurant has made waves in the Central New York area. Akina Sushi and Hibachi opened just a month ago, and has already brought in nearly 100 five-star reviews. What’s the big deal? All you can eat sushi for just $17. The man behind it all? Owner Hong Zheng, who owns a similar restaurant in Buffalo, and knew it needed to come to the 315.
ZHENG: “Even when I was working in Buffalo, my first restaurant, whenever there’s a wait list, I notice there’s a lot of 315 area codes. So I know that there are people from Syracuse going to Buffalo, whether they’re attending UB or whatever, but they are always revisiting my restaurant over and over again, so I saw an opportunity, you know.”
PAPILLO: A deal that good has brought attention to Akina all throughout social media, so much so that the restaurant had to apologize on Facebook this week for its popularity. But that didn’t change the experience, especially for SU student Gaby Gonzalez.
GONZALEZ: “I first saw it on TikTok, and then my roommates were talking about it. It was pretty good, like the food was really good, the prices were good, I think it was a good experience overall.”
PAPILLO: Zheng’s dream has certainly paid off. Restaurantgoers continue to flood this place over the past month, and the former bank that you see behind me is certainly rolling in the dough.
ZHENG: “Right now, we’re actually struggling to keep up because of how many new customers we’re getting each day. Like this is probably the fifth day in a row I had to wake up at 7 a.m. and go to Restaurant Depot and other supply houses to pick up stuff, and that’s after going to bed at 2 a.m.”
PAPILLO: Akina is open every day so you can take advantage of this deal for yourself. Reporting from Syracuse, Dan Papillo, NCC News
NORTH SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Just off Interstate 81, a new restaurant has quickly become one of Syracuse’s most talked-about dining spots. Akina Sushi and Hibachi, which opened only a month ago at 709 N. Main St, in North Syracuse, is making waves with an irresistible deal for Japanese cuisine lovers: all-you-can-eat sushi and hibachi for just $17 at lunchtime and $25 for dinner.
The restaurant’s owner, Hong Zheng, is no stranger to success in the sushi business. Despite growing up in China, he was always drawn to sushi and Japanese food. Zheng operates a similar restaurant in Buffalo and saw an opportunity to bring his concept into the 315.
“Even when I was working in Buffalo, my first restaurant, whenever there’s a wait list, I notice there’s a lot of 315 area codes,” Zheng said. “I know that there are people from Syracuse going to Buffalo, whether they’re attending UB or whatever, but they are always revisiting my restaurant over and over again, so I saw an opportunity, you know.”
Zheng’s instincts were right. In just a few weeks, Akina has received nearly 100 five-star reviews on Google and sparked viral attention across social media platforms. The buzz grew so large that the restaurant even issued an apology on Facebook for the unexpected crowds and lack of service.
That social media buzz is what has drawn a lot of customers to the restaurant, especially Syracuse University students.
“I first saw it on TikTok, and then my roommates were talking about it,” SU junior Gaby Gonzalez said. “It was really good… the food, the prices, the whole experience.”
The restaurant’s rapid success has exceeded everyone’s expectations, even Zheng.
“Right now, we’re actually struggling to keep up because of how many new customers we’re getting each day,” Zheng said. “This is probably the fifth day in a row I’ve had to wake up at 7 a.m. to get supplies from Restaurant Depot after going to bed at 2.”
Just 20 minutes away from campus, Akina Sushi and Hibachi is a must-visit for Central New York sushi lovers hoping to get their money’s worth.