Revolving Sushi Restaurant Moves Into Fort Worth’s Left Bank, Taking Over Shuttered Bakery Space

Kaiten-zushi (or conveyor belt sushi) has been around for many decades in Japan. The first one to flip the switch was Mawaru Genroku Sushi, which introduced the novelty back in 1958 in Osaka.

Now, the trend is finally making its way to Fort Worth.

Akarii Revolving Sushi will introduce locals to kaiten-zushi when it opens in the Left Bank by this summer. Akarii is taking over the spot recently vacated by the shuttered 85°C Bakery Cafe.

Revolving Sushi is just what it sounds like. A never-ending array of sushi winds right by your table. Just grab what you like and stack your plates. Traditionally your bill at these type of restaurants was calculated by the number and type of plates you chose ― with plain white plates costing less than ornate ones.

Then, diners either brought them to the register or simply stacked their finished plates next to them on the counter, and a waiter would prepare the bill.

In recent years, that method has largely been replaced by touch screens, allowing you to special order anything on the menu, and keep a running tally of what you’ve spent. Now you can even pay right at the table.

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar was one of the first to bring the mechanized smorgasbord experience to the States, and now it has eight Texas locations including restaurants in Plano, Frisco and Carrollton. The popular brand has grown to more than 400 locations across Japan, Taiwan and the United States.

As in Japan, some conveyor belt sushi shops are better than others, and Kura has always been quite good.

Now a new local brand, Akarii, is jumping on the trend that’s been such a long time coming to this neck of North Texas. Akarii opened its first location in Mansfield at 3341 East Broad Street in December, and their second restaurant will be opening in the Left Bank development at 628 Harrold Street.

Akarii offers nigiri style (raw or cooked fish atop rice), a variety of maki style (rolled sushi), hand rolls (seaweed filled cones), as well as Chinese dim sum, and even a few ramen and rice dishes. All plates are $2.95, so help yourself to whatever catches your eye as it passes by.