The operator of the Norikase Japanese restaurant in Tinseltown and Beachside Seafood in Jacksonville Beach plans to expand to the Downtown Northbank in Brooklyn.
Pearl Hospitality Group has signed a lease at the One Riverside mixed-use development to open another Japanese establishment in 2026.
The new restaurant, Norikawa, will be on the riverfront with a patio along the Riverwalk, Justin Raulerson of PHG said. It will comprise 4,500 square feet of interior space with an additional 2,000 square feet of patio dining area.
The restaurant is in its early stage of planning and the owners have not hired a designer or contractor. Raulerson expects the construction budget to be $1.5 million to $1.75 million.
“It will be a very similar concept, but still different. The menu will have a different ambiance. You may see some (Norikase) signature dishes,” Raulerson said.
The $250 million One Riverside project is under construction on the site of the demolished Florida Times-Union campus at 1 Riverside Ave.
Completion of the $59.9 million, 225-apartment first phase of the project is expected to be completed in September.
A Whole Foods Market and another retail building also are under construction.
Raulerson said Norikawa will employ 30 to 40 staff members. Leadership and other positions may be filled by current Norikase staff, he said.
Like Norikase, Norikawa will provide an omakase dining experience, in which the chef prepares a multicourse tasting menu without customer input. It is a chance for the kitchen to display its skill.
Raulerson said prices will be similar to Norikase’s. Individuals ordering off the a la carte menu can expect to pay $75 to $100 with beverages. The omakase experience will be about $175 to $250.
Pearl Hospitality Group is part of the larger Bento Group that has restaurants throughout Florida.
It owns several Michelin-star restaurants in Orlando and Tampa. They include Camille in Orlando and Kosen in Tampa, each of which has one star. The Bento Group-operated Sorekara, also in Orlando, received two Michelin stars.
Critics for the influential Michelin dining guide review restaurants in South Florida, Tampa and Orlando.
Jacksonville has not applied or paid the fee to become a Michelin-rated city, according to Visit Jacksonville.
Investors in some of the Bento Group’s Michelin restaurants will be financially supporting Norikawa, Raulerson said.
Pearl Hospitality Group is taking advantage of having three seafood restaurants that allow for discounts by buying in quantity for the businesses.
“You have to have multiple restaurants. It’s hard to make sure that you stay in the green by just surviving off of one restaurant,” Raulerson said.
He called Norikawa an upscale modern restaurant. He expects the patio to be popular on temperate evenings.
“We’ll have a patio bar as well. So any visitors or patrons that are going to be visiting the Emerald Trail could also stop by and grab a cocktail.”
The city is restoring McCoys Creek as a park adjacent to One Riverside with plans to connect it to the Emerald Trail string of parks in and around Downtown.
The restaurant will be open during evening hours at the outset, Raulerson said.
“It is possible that we may be open for lunch as well, but we will start off with dinner only. But more than likely, yes, we will be open for lunch in the near future, but we want to make sure we go nice and slow, making sure that we have quality over quantity at first.”
The Florida Times-Union operated at the site from 1967 to 2019. The offices and production facility have been demolished on the 18.8-acre site.