One of Folsom's best-known beer stops on East Bidwell is about to swap pint glasses for sushi rolls. University of Beer’s Folsom location at 1009 East Bidwell, which opened in 2022 and has served as a neighborhood go-to for rotating craft taps and pub grub, is closing so Roku Japanese Cuisine can take over the space. It is the latest shuffle along Folsom’s busy restaurant corridor.
According to the Sacramento Business Journal, the University of Beer chain is shutting down its Folsom outpost and Roku Japanese Cuisine, a Roseville-based sushi and ramen operator, is slated to step into the lease. The story was published Thursday by reporter Sonya Sorich.
University of Beer still lists the Folsom address on its locations page and continues to operate elsewhere in the region. According to University of Beer, the company has grown into several Sacramento-area suburbs since first launching in Davis.
Roku Japanese Cuisine Eyes East Bidwell
Roku currently runs a popular spot in Roseville and promotes a menu built around nigiri, sashimi, ramen and robata-style plates. Roku Japanese Cuisine lists its Roseville location and menu online, and the Sacramento Business Journal reported that Roku is expected to occupy the former beer bar space in Folsom if the lease change goes through.
Folsom's Dining Scene Keeps Shifting
Folsom has been riding a steady wave of restaurant turnover, with new full-service spots popping up while other concepts flame out quickly in the city’s retail corridors. Recent coverage of closures, including a Vietnamese restaurant that shut its doors late last year, shows how fast spaces can flip in town. See local reporting from Folsom Times and broader business coverage by KCRA.
What to Watch Next
So far, neither company has released a public timeline for handing off the space. Roku’s website currently lists only its Roseville address, and University of Beer still shows the East Bidwell site on its locations page. If the lease transfer moves forward, the usual sequence of permits, remodeling work and new signage will ultimately decide when Folsom diners can sit down to a Roku roll.
Expect visible changes at the 1009 East Bidwell storefront if the deal proceeds, and we will update this space when either the companies or the city files official paperwork or announces an opening date.
