G-Ho Park, manager/server at Kanbu Sushi 777 in the 777 Building at State and Eisenhower, jokes that in the first few days after its opening, the restaurant felt as if was “the 777 lunchroom. We didn’t have anyone here who didn’t know each other.”
New southside neighhors G-Ho Park, manager of Kanbu Sushi 777, and Christy Kaledas, co-owner of The Thrivery juicery and café. | Photo: J. Adrian Wylie
Kanbu and another local business, The Thrivery (formerly Thrive Juicery), opened second iterations in July in the building’s first-floor lobby. Landlord Oxford Companies, which is headquartered in the building, worked in tandem with the restaurant owners and Yellowstone Architecture + Construction, also in the building, to create the welcoming spaces. “Oxford is always delighted to partner with local businesses,” emails Wonwoo Lee, Oxford’s chief real estate officer. “Welcoming them to 777 has been tremendously rewarding for our company.”
Scott and Tiffany Kim opened the first Kanbu Sushi in Ann Arbor on E. Liberty in 2019. Look closely inside the Kanbu logo, though, and you’ll see “Est. 1982”—the year Scott’s father opened his first Kanbu restaurant in Korea. Guests at either location can choose from the popular sushi burrito, bibimbap, ramen, poke bowls and more. Park touts their affordable lunch menu that includes sushi rolls or pieces, soup, and salad.
The new location has plenty of open space and tables for in-person dining. It also offers pickup, takeout, delivery, and catering. A liquor license is in the works.
Park says that while 777 tenants continue to visit for lunch and stop by to pick up dinner, employees from nearby businesses, travelers from local hotels, commuters, and recently StoryPoint senior housing residents, are expanding their customer base.
Kanbu Sushi 777, 777 E. Eisenhower Pkwy., (734) 929–5721. Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Closed Sat. & Sun. kanbu-annarbor.com/kanbu-sushi-777-south
_________________
Christy Kaledas, co-owner and director of operations for The Thrivery, says people in the 777 Building would frequently stop by during the restaurant’s construction to ask when they could expect the store to open. They are now enjoying favorites like avocado toast and “Morning Coffee,” a smoothie that blends Ypsilanti-based Hyperion cold brew with plant-based protein, banana, and other ingredients. There are also raw, unpasteurized, cold-pressed juices in glass bottles, salads, smoothies, coffee, lattes, and espresso.
Anna and Andy Mignery opened their first location in Lamp Post Plaza on E. Stadium near Trader Joe’s in 2018. “I often compare juice to when people start drinking wine,” Anna says: “they often start with the whites and end up loving red. And for me, juicing was similar. I started in the sweet line, a blend of fruits and vegetables” but ultimately became a fan of serious green and root juices, among them spinach, kale, beet, and carrot.
The 777 location has a single table and some chairs, but Kaledas says more furniture and a stereo system are on the way, as well as a living plant wall. Unlike their Lamp Post location, the new one has ample parking, and, Kaledas says, “You walk in the door, and here we are!”
The Trivery, 777 E. Eisenhower Pkwy., (734) 492–3892. Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Closed Sat. & Sun. thethrivery.com
Got a retail or restaurant change? Email marketplace@aaobserver.com.
