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Date: 8/29/2023
BELCHERTOWN — Kansai will be opening a new restaurant at 1 Main St. by the end of October if everything with construction goes according to plan.
Attorney Michael Gove from Legacy Counsellors P.C. and co-manager Louis Ryu met with the Select Board at its Aug. 21 meeting for a public hearing regarding his application for an on-premise restaurant all-alcohol beverage license.
The Select Board approved the license, and the room was filled with applause to show their excitement for a new taste in Belchertown.
The proposed construction includes a restaurant on the main floor with seating for approximately 55 people at tables and another 15 individuals at a sushi bar.
There will also be a bar with seating for an additional 20 people.
The second floor will be a space for events or another bar with TVs for a place for people to hang out.
Right now, the final construction includes plumbing upgrades and the installation of a new kitchen before a final inspection is conducted.
Ryu is a native of South Korea who has been involved with other restaurants in the area for 20 years including working as head chef at Kisara Asian Bistro in Easthampton and Kaisen in Agawam.
“We are looking forward to being here, I live in Amherst. I know that Belchertown has a lot of pizza restaurants and a couple chinese restaurants. They don’t have any sushi restaurants. We have two restaurants already. This is our third one. We know Belchertown would like to try some of our menu and we like the location,” Ryu added.
Ryu added that the plan for the menu will include a fusion of items with about 80% of it featuring Japanese and Korean food.
There will be Japanese sushi, hibachi and ramen and Korean entrees as well, according to Ryu.
He also mentioned the importance of getting fresh and quality ingredients.
At Kisara Asian Bistro, the owners and chefs pick up fish, scallops and other seafood from Boston fish markets weekly and Ryu would like to continue fresh ingredients at Kansai.
Right now, Ryu said the plan is for the restaurant to be open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. with possibly an extra half hour or hour added on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday will be from 12 to 8:30 p.m.
“It’s really hard to hire people right now. It depends how many people we can hire,” Ryu added.
The official hours will get announced closer to the grand opening and will depend on how much staff they can find, according to Ryu.
The main concern of the Select Board is where people are going to park due to the anticipated opening of a sushi restaurant in Belchertown.
Select Board member Jen Turner said, “That’s my biggest concern because I think you will find that you will be flooded with customers. Everybody is very excited about this restaurant.”
The Select Board expressed their excitement for Kansai and wished Ryu the best of luck.
Town Administrator Steve Williams added, “Welcome to Belchertown.”