A new cafe is about to fill the quiet morning hours at a Columbia Pike izakaya. Motto Cafe is hosting a soft opening inside Ryu Izakaya on Wednesday, Nov. 11, bringing Japanese-inspired breakfast and brunch dishes, along with matcha drinks, smoothies and lattes, to a space that otherwise serves lunch and dinner.
According to ARLnow, the cafe plans to bring a Japanese twist to classic breakfast and brunch options alongside a variety of Japanese-inspired smoothies, lattes and matcha drinks. Among the offerings will be a hojicha matcha, described as a traditional Japanese-style tea. Motto Cafe is expected to be open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., well ahead of Ryu Izakaya's usual service hours.
The new concept is timed to a slower stretch at Ryu Izakaya. The restaurant recently completed a remodel that helps facilitate the cafe, and the change is not expected to affect Ryu Izakaya's operating hours or its regular dining service, meaning the izakaya side of the business will carry on as before once Motto Cafe's morning shift wraps up each afternoon.
The cafe joins a corridor Arlington County describes as a mix of local shops and culturally diverse restaurants stretching more than three miles across the county. Local business activity is also shaped by county land-use policy: in 2021, the County Board expanded the range of businesses allowed in ground-floor spaces along Columbia Pike, a change officials said was intended to diversify businesses serving the community and create opportunities for first-time and minority business owners. The county’s policy announcement outlined those goals.
Ryu Izakaya is itself a relatively new addition to Columbia Pike: the Japanese street-food and sushi restaurant opened in October 2023 on the ground floor of the Days Inn. Motto Cafe will add a daytime concept to a restaurant that began serving the corridor more than three years ago, extending the same space’s use across more of the day. ARLnow’s coverage of Ryu’s opening identified it as a Japanese street-food and sushi restaurant.
A Discount Week to Kick Things Off
Early customers get an incentive to try the new menu. The cafe is offering 20% off during its soft-opening week, which runs from Nov. 11 through Nov. 15 — a window that gives Columbia Pike regulars five days to sample the lineup at a reduced price before standard pricing takes over.
Twatchai Jaypakdee, Ryu Izakaya's general manager, said the arrangement is designed to add something new without blurring the two brands together. He said the setup allows the business to provide greater convenience and variety while preserving the individual identity and experience of each brand. Jaypakdee added that the goal is to introduce new experiences to existing guests while welcoming a broader community of breakfast lovers, coffee enthusiasts and brunch customers.
What's on the Menu
The drink list leans playful and seasonal. The cafe's Facebook page advertises a caramel Biscoff latte, sparkling strawberry matcha, honey yuzu matcha and a beet, strawberry and banana smoothie, per the same ARLnow report, rounding out a menu that pairs familiar cafe staples with Japanese-inspired flavors and ingredients.
For Ryu Izakaya, the move is a way to make use of hours that would otherwise sit empty. Rather than leaving the space dark until dinner service, the team behind the restaurant is betting that a Japanese-style cafe can turn Columbia Pike mornings into their own draw — one latte, smoothie or bowl of hojicha matcha at a time.
