Manhattan Skyline Management Corp. is pleased to bring new sushi eatery MakiMaki to 1369 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan. The restaurant, which originated from a big brother location in Miami that still operates its popular outpost there, will occupy the 975-square-foot, two-floor commercial space in the heart of Midtown Manhattan’s Plaza District – a bustling area filled with high-volume residential, office, and tourist foot traffic. The shop has 12-feet of frontage on Sixth Avenue, between 55th and 56th Streets.
“MakiMaki is an excellent addition to the restaurant mix along this midtown corridor,” said Joshua Roth, Vice President, Retail Leasing for Manhattan Skyline Management Corp., who represented both landlord and tenant in the deal. “We saw that the food base was working in this neighborhood and what made MakiMaki especially compelling was the owner’s strong roots in the restaurant business. We believed in him and his concept and I’m sure MakiMaki will soon enjoy the same devoted following in New York City that Toni’s does in South Beach.”
MakiMaki will focus on handrolls (temaki’s) and made-to-order customized traditional sushi rolls (maki's), made in a contemporary fast-casual style. “Temaki” is a sushi hand roll – a single, large cone-shaped piece of seaweed on the outside, filled with various ingredients such as fish, vegetables, rice and other options. Recently, “Temakerias,” which specialize in this unique style of sushi, have been popping up throughout the city with their own variations and are gaining in popularity. MakiMaki is best known for their version of this trend – a large roll dubbed the “sushi burrito.” Customers will also get to enjoy a variety of custom-blended Japanese teas along with freshly-whisked Matcha green tea.
“We’re thrilled to be opening our first location in New York City, and to become a part of such a vibrant area,” said Kevin Takarada, Founder and Owner of MakiMaki. “I realized there was a void in the sushi market – it’s hard to find affordable, fresh, and fast sushi, and we are here as an answer to that gap. Our “in-and-out” pace will be a welcome addition for the lunch crowd, and we look forward to sharing our sushi offerings with Midtown and making our mark here.”
The store’s interior is designed by Yoshimi Kono and features pristine, simplistic white oak providing the store with a calming vibe. MakiMaki’s big brother restaurant, Toni’s Sushi Bar, opened in 1987 and was the first Japanese restaurant in South Beach. Toni’s became a pioneer of both exotic tastes and high-end restaurant business in a culturally-starved area. Decades later, Toni’s remains an icon of South Beach renowned for service and simplicity with customers that visit year-round and span the globe.
Formerly, the space housed Vitamin Museum. MakiMaki will share the vicinity with fast-casual options such as Maison Kayser, new edition Black Tap, and established favorites including Chipotle, Starbucks, Pret A Manger, Joe & The Juice, Dean & DeLuca and Chop’t. Other neighboring retail spaces include Astro, Duane Reade, Chase, Hilton Hotel, Rue 57, TD Bank, Warwick Hotel, Knoll Home Design Center, Estiatorio Milos, Le Parker Meridien, Dry Bar, The Quin Hotel and Sprint.
