Hayden Island is trading late-night pie runs for sushi marathons. All-you-can-eat chain Sumo Sushi & Grill is planning a new Portland location at 9730 N Whitaker Rd, taking over the freestanding former Shari's Cafe and Pies. The company has not announced a public opening date yet, but it already operates an AYCE outpost in nearby Oregon City and several locations across Washington state.
The planned Portland move shows up in a liquor-license application that lists Maobin Chi, who goes by Jackie, as the owner, according to WhatNow. The outlet reports that Sumo typically offers tiered buffet pricing and caps meals at around 90 minutes. WhatNow also notes that the restaurant did not have an opening date at the time of its report and that its reporter reached out to the business for comment.
What To Expect
According to Sumo Sushi & Grill, the restaurants lean on made-to-order sushi, hand rolls, teppanyaki and rotating hot dishes instead of traditional long buffet lines. Diners order from a menu, and the kitchen sends plates out fresh rather than from warming trays.
The Oregon City location, the chain's closest Oregon restaurant, lists typical hours of about 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., according to Roadtrippers, offering a rough preview of what Portland diners might see on Hayden Island.
Hayden Island Site
The property at 9730 N Whitaker Rd is listed at roughly 3,540 to 4,286 square feet and is marketed as a former Shari's with an existing restaurant build-out and parking, according to LoopNet. The listing highlights the site's visibility off I-5 and its retail zoning, suggesting a restaurant tenant could reuse much of the existing infrastructure instead of starting from scratch.
Next Steps
Sumo has not posted a Portland opening date yet, and the liquor-license filing indicates the owners are still working through permitting and licensing. Diners curious about pricing and the menu can look to the Oregon City outpost, where the chain runs silver and gold buffet tiers and enforces a roughly 90-minute dining limit as an early preview, per WhatNow. Hoodline will keep an eye on permitting records and company announcements and share details once the restaurant locks in an opening day.
