Richmond favorite Lucky AF, a cheeky Asian-fusion sushi spot, is packing up its poke bowls and specialty rolls for a new home in Raleigh’s Ridgewood Shopping Center. EAT Restaurant Partners plans to turn a renovated retail bay on Wade Avenue into a full-service Lucky AF, with construction expected to kick off in the coming months and an opening eyed for early next year. It will be the brand’s first venture into the Triangle and its first location outside Virginia.
Chris Tsui, president of Richmond-based EAT Restaurant Partners, told Axios that his group has no intention of treating Raleigh as a one-off. EAT, which operates 11 restaurant brands, opened Wong’s Tacos in Raleigh last year. Tsui said Lucky AF in Ridgewood will lean more toward a fun, family-friendly hangout than a buttoned-up fine dining experience.
According to Regency Centers, the Ridgewood landlord has already converted the former retail bay into a restaurant-ready space and lists Lucky Asian Fusion as a tenant. The property page shows Lucky Asian Fusion in a roughly 4,000-square-foot unit at 3540 Wade Avenue and highlights center anchors such as Whole Foods and Walgreens as part of a broader push to draw more dinner and evening traffic.
Lucky AF debuted in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition in 2020 and bills itself, via the restaurant’s site, as a modern sushi room offering bento boxes, dumplings, poke bowls and a long lineup of specialty rolls. The News & Observer reported in November 2025 that Lucky Asian Fusion had signed a lease at Ridgewood for about 3,341 square feet, slightly smaller than Regency’s current listing, and noted the Raleigh restaurant would be the concept’s first location outside Virginia. The size discrepancy appears tied to adjustments made during the center’s renovation and leasing process.
Why EAT Is Betting On Raleigh
EAT is not walking into an unknown market. The group already planted its flag with Wong’s Tacos near Crabtree, giving the company a head start on Raleigh staffing, sourcing and logistics, as reflected on the restaurant’s Raleigh listing. The GlenLake Wong’s Tacos location effectively served as EAT’s Triangle test case before rolling out a second brand. That existing infrastructure should help Lucky AF move quickly once construction begins.
What To Expect
Tsui told Axios that Raleigh diners can expect a lively, high-energy scene at Lucky AF, even as the company continues to add more Lucky AF locations around Richmond. The Raleigh menu is expected to track closely with the flagship in Virginia, with poke bowls, bento combinations and playful rolls, though local tastes may prompt a few tweaks. Look for construction permits and hiring notices to surface over the summer as the signed lease turns into an active build-out.
For Ridgewood neighbors, Lucky AF’s arrival signals another step in the shopping center’s evolution from a daytime retail stop to a hub with full-service restaurants and nighttime foot traffic. We will update this story once EAT or Lucky AF releases firm construction timelines, opening dates and an official Raleigh menu.
