Blue Sushi Sake Grill To Open First Austin Location

AUSTIN, TX — Omaha, Nebraska-based Flagship Restaurant Group announced on Tuesday that Blue Sushi Sake Grill will open its first Austin location next summer.

Company officials said Blue will be located on 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 136 in The Domain shopping center, joining another Flagship Restaurant Group concept, Plank Seafood Provisions, in the mixed-use development. Blue’s new restaurant will be the concept’s 4th location in Texas and 15th overall, company officials added.

Flagship Restaurant Group opened their first Austin concept, Anthem, in September 2018 in the Millennium Rainey Street development. They are slated to open Plank Seafood Provisions, a coastally inspired oyster bar and seafood grill, in The Domain in Spring 2020. This will mark Plank’s second location, the first is in Omaha.

“We’ve always been fans of Austin and had a great experience opening our first concept, Anthem, in the market,” Nick Hogan, CEO of Flagship Restaurant Group, said in a prepared statement. “Blue has had phenomenal success with its three locations in Dallas/Fort Worth, so expanding to Austin was a natural move. We landed on The Domain for Blue and Plank’s new locations because of the development’s enticing mix of national and local tenants. We anticipate the Austin market will resonate well with Blue’s vegan offerings as well.”

Added Monica Esparza, Director of Marketing and Business Development for Simon: “We are thrilled to introduce Plank Seafood Provisions and Blue Sushi Sake Grill to the local food scene. The Domain truly is redefining the conventional shopping center environment and delivering an all-inclusive experience complete with desirable retail options, an array of events, entertainment choices, and a plethora of dining selections. With the addition of these new dining concepts, only found at The Domain in Austin, there’s an even more compelling reason to visit and enjoy.”

Here's how company officials describe the restaurant concept: "Uniting creative ingredients with energetic and feel-good vibes, signature cocktails, premium cold sake and an incredible Happy Hour, Blue offers a fun and fresh way to experience sustainable sushi and Japanese-inspired dishes. The concept strives to appeal to all guests and offers a variety of plant-based and vegan offerings, including an exclusively vegan maki section. Rolls include the Green Goddess, spicy vegan tomato tuna, avocado, cucumber, cilantro, shallot, vegan tobiko (fish roe) and ponzu sauce and Unami Maki, vegan eggplant eel, vegan cream cheese, avocado and sweet soy, among many others."

Along with vegan maki, Blue serves traditional and specialty maki rolls, nigiri and sashimi. For those in search of more than sushi, Blue’s menu features a variety of Asian-inspired dishes, including the Crispy Brussel Sprouts tossed in a vegan creamy lemon miso sauce with toasted cashews and Black Garlic Beef Tataki, pan seared all-natural tenderloin, black garlic rub, wasabi blue-cheese mousse, shiitake mushrooms and shansho pepper au poivre sauce.

"Blue strives to serve responsibly sourced seafood and takes a proactive approach to building a better food system by creating and implementing practices to reduce their carbon footprint," officials said in a press advisory. "With a goal of making feel-good sushi and happy oceans, Blue’s Conscious Earth program helps the restaurant make a positive difference on the planet."

ABOUT BLUE SUSHI SAKE GRILL

Blue Sushi Sake Grill transforms the sushi experience by sourcing responsibly caught seafood and uniting creative ingredients with bold flavors. Its high energy atmosphere boasts a diverse menu featuring a vast selection of sushi, warm and cold dishes, salads, desserts, and hot and cold drinks— including an extensive list of vegan and vegetarian sushi offerings. Blue has expanded to 14 locations, including Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Iowa. For more information, visit www.bluesushisakegrill.com.

ABOUT FLAGSHIP RESTAURANT GROUP

Flagship Restaurant Group is a national full-service and fast-casual restaurant company. Its concepts include: Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Roja Mexican Grill & Margarita Bar, Blatt Beer & Table, Plank Seafood Provisions, the nation's first independently-owned and operated food hall, Flagship Commons, and #1 in USA Today’s 10Best Best New Restaurant in 2018, Anthem. Flagship Restaurant Group is based in Omaha, NE, and operates concepts in Nebraska, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Iowa.

ABOUT THE DOMAIN

A Simon center, The Domain features over 100 upscale and mainstream retail stores and restaurants situated in a beautiful park-like setting, several of which are exclusive within the market. A sampling of retailers includes high-end boutiques such as David Yurman, Louis Vuitton, Ted Baker, Tiffany & Co. and Austin's only Neiman Marcus, as well as more traditional retailers like American Eagle Outfitters, Banana Republic, Express and more. Foodies can also find their fix with favorites like True Food Kitchen, Grand Lux Cafe, Maggiano's Little Italy, North Italia and many more. The multi-phased Domain development is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Dillard's and Dick's Sporting Goods and boasts state-of-the art children’s play areas as well as a “great lawn” designed for live music, community festivals, markets, food trucks and more. The property has more than 800 residential units and ample Class A office space. Nearby hotels include Westin Austin at The Domain, Lone Star Court by Valencia Group, Aloft Austin and The Archer Hotel.

ABOUT SIMON

Simon is a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations and an S&P 100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE: SPG). Our properties across North America, Europe and Asia provide community gathering places for millions of people every day and generate billions in annual sales. For more information, visit simon.com.