Conveyor Belt Sushi Coming to Manchester

A new sushi restaurant looks to be coming to Manchester. 

A public hearing was held Monday night at the Manchester Board of Aldermen meeting, and it appears aldermen are on board with the proposed opening of Sushi Ai in Lafayette Center (Dierbergs Plaza).

Restaurant owner Jie Chen told Town and Country—Manchester Patch this the fourth restaurant of its kind in the St. Louis metro area. The new restaurant would open at the east end of Lafayette Center. Other Sushi Ai restaurants owned by Chen's family are open in Maryland Heights, St. Peters and St. Charles.

Chen hopes to have Sushi Ai open in Manchester in approximately three months.

Chen describes the sit-down restaurant plans as high-end and contemporary. There will be a sushi bar and a unique conveyor belt style set up where customers can try pieces of a sushi roll instead of having to order an entire roll.

The proposed plans for the 3,200-square-foot restaurant recently received unanimous approval from the Manchester Planning and Zoning Commission. One more hearing is scheduled with planning and zoning before Chen could get final approval.