A South Florida restaurant known for blending Peruvian and Japanese flavors is setting up shop in Orlando's MetroWest corridor. Ceviche Arigato plans to open a roughly 150-seat restaurant with a full bar at 4898 S. Kirkman Rd. in December, marking its third location and its first foray into Central Florida.
Co-owner Rosemary Batzel announced the opening timeline in September, telling Business Debut that the space is designed to accommodate families and tourists alike. The restaurant currently operates locations in Weston and West Palm Beach, according to WhatNow, and is described by that outlet as a Japanese-Peruvian fusion concept serving made-to-order sushi rolls, ceviche, and other chef-created fusion dishes. Commercial brokerage Cohen Commercial Realty confirmed in May that Ceviche Arigato signed a lease for the 2,800-square-foot storefront inside the Kirkman Shoppes center.
A Storefront With a Revolving Door of Tenants
The address has seen plenty of turnover. Per WhatNow, the new location will occupy the space formerly held by Ahi Sushi, while a post in the Orlando Asian Foodies Facebook group notes the unit has also housed YuMe Sushi & BBQ and 818 Heat Hot Pot & BBQ over the years. Plan review documents reviewed by WhatNow show the Ceviche Arigato buildout is already underway at the site.
Kirkman Shoppes itself is owned by Regency Centers and anchored by neighbors including LA Fitness, Agave Azul, Chick-fil-A, and Jeff's Bagel Run, according to the brokerage's release. The plaza sits along the busy South Kirkman Road corridor near MetroWest and Universal Studios, an area with steady foot traffic from both residents and visitors.
Family Recipes Spanning Three Generations
The restaurant's story centers on family. WhatNow reports that Ceviche Arigato was founded by Rosemary Maruyama, who blended Peruvian and Japanese culinary traditions into a menu built on family recipes passed down through three generations. Business Debut's reporting adds further detail, noting that Batzel now runs the growing company alongside her brother and co-owner Roberto Medina, having originally launched the brand in Weston with her husband, Franco Carro Batzel. That same outlet traces the menu's roots to Batzel's grandfather, framing the business as a multi-generational family of restaurateurs with mixed Japanese and Peruvian heritage.
At the West Palm Beach location, the menu includes ceviche, sushi rolls, tiraditos, lomo saltado, and arroz chaufa, per WhatNow's description of the brand's existing offerings. Business Debut highlights the Miami Heat roll as one of the restaurant's top sellers, combining avocado with sauces made from mild-treated Peruvian yellow and red peppers. Over the past decade, the brand has become what WhatNow calls a beloved community fixture, drawing food enthusiasts and diners curious about fusion cuisine, and building what the outlet describes as a loyal following that appreciates its quality and authenticity.
South Florida Roots and Earlier Recognition
Ceviche Arigato's expansion history runs through South Florida before reaching Central Florida. The brand previously grew from its original Weston location to Lake Park in Palm Beach County, where it was featured on PBS's Check, Please! South Florida, according to Florida Weekly.
Arriving Amid a Shifting Orlando Peruvian Scene
The Orlando debut lands at a moment of flux for the city's Peruvian dining options. Ceviche Arigato's expansion arrives just weeks after the announced closure of Michelin-recognized Peruvian restaurant Papa Llama closing after nearly ten years on Curry Ford Road, a shift that is reshaping the city's Peruvian food landscape. At the same time, interest in Nikkei cuisine, the Japanese-Peruvian fusion tradition Ceviche Arigato represents, has been building locally.
That culinary style traces back more than a century. Nikkei cuisine originated in Peru following the April 1899 arrival of 790 Japanese contract laborers aboard the Sakura Maru, who adapted Japanese culinary techniques using Peruvian ingredients such as yellow peppers and pisco, according to prior Hoodline reporting. The new Kirkman Road restaurant will test whether that century-old fusion tradition can find a lasting audience among Orlando's families and tourist crowds.
