Glen Carbon’s Orchard Town Center is getting a new place to slurp noodles and split sushi rolls. Kokuu Ramen & Sushi Bar is headed to the busy retail hub on Troy Road, sliding into an outlot next to Dick’s Sporting Goods as part of the center’s ongoing restaurant boom. Construction activity around the building has picked up in recent months, a visible hint that the space could be ready for customers later this season.
According to The Edwardsville Intelligencer, the Glen Carbon address is 2431 Troy Road, and Mayor Bob Marcus said on May 12 that Kokuu is scheduled to open sometime this year. Tim Lowe of The Staenberg Group told the paper the spot "should open in early summer," and the Intelligencer quoted Kokuu general manager Zilin Zhang as saying the company picked the site because "there's no ramen place around there that is traditional."
Where It Will Sit In Orchard Town Center
The Orchard Town Center site plan tags a 3,150-square-foot outlot for Kokuu Ramen & Sushi, putting it in the retail row that faces Troy Road. The developer has been touting the center’s growing tenant list on its press page, and the Village of Glen Carbon’s 2026 mayoral update also names Kokuu among the businesses expected to open this year. Those materials place the restaurant close to other new and incoming tenants, as well as the center’s new greenspace and trail connections, so ramen fans will be able to pair a bowl with a stroll.
What Kokuu Will Bring
Kokuu started in Kirkwood and has built a following for pork-forward tonkotsu ramen, along with black garlic and spicy variations, plus a compact sushi lineup, according to a review in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Regional food coverage has already tagged the Glen Carbon restaurant in coming-soon roundups, framing it as part of a broader metro-area expansion. Taken together, the concept and coverage suggest this will be a full sit-down ramen spot rather than a stripped-down quick-serve counter.
Orchard Town Center planning documents and developer notes show Kokuu arriving as one piece of a larger build-out that includes additional national and regional names, and local officials say more openings are expected throughout the year. Kokuu has not yet announced an exact opening date or its hours, and no soft-opening details have been posted publicly. For now, keep an eye on the 2431 Troy Road storefront for new signage and interior build-out, which usually show up just before the ribbon gets cut.
