Newsroom

By Jenny Peterson | Post & Courier

It’s a scene straight out of a futuristic movie: plates glide past on a conveyor belt like luggage in an airport, while miniature animal-shaped trains zip around on a small track, delivering sushi to customers without the need for a human server.

That’s the concept behind the aptly-named Revolving Sushi Kingdom, a Japanese restaurant that’s set to open at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre in January.

The tech-powered restaurant will be in space under the Hyatt Place hotel at 1600 Palmetto Grande Drive, which was sold last year for just under $18 million located between the Belk department store and the Regal Cinemas movie theater.
Customers can pick up smaller orders from the revolving conveyer system or order larger dishes from the kitchen via iPads directly at the tables.

“Most of the dishes on revolving belt will be cold dishes and smaller portions,” said Anna Chen, owner of Revolving Sushi Kingdom and proprietor of revolving sushi restaurant, Nara, in Pooler, Georgia. “We want to bring a whole new and unique experience to South Carolina residents.”

Chen said Revolving Sushi Kingdom will incorporate state-of-the-art technology to deliver customers the restaurant’s more than 100 dishes on the menu, including nigiri, hand-rolled sushi and Japanese appetizers.

“Trains will run as food runners directly from the kitchen to tables,” Chen said. “Trains are (shaped liked) animals and the screen in the middle will show the table number.”

It’s not the first restaurant in the Charleston area to incorporate high-tech food runners.

Last year, West Ashley Asian restaurant Chef Loong Dim Sum & Soup Dumplings unveiled a robot named Bella that delivers orders after they are placed.

A social media post from Towne Centre in October announcing Revolving Sushi Kingdom as its newest tenant got nearly 500 likes and over 100 shares.

“Revolving Sushi Kingdom brings a distinctive, high-energy dining format,” said Kristina O’Keefe, a vice president with Continental Realty Corp., which owns the retail center. “Its innovative approach to service and atmosphere reflects the kind of forward-thinking tenant partnerships that keep the property relevant and engaging to our community.”