New concept plans to ‘push the boundaries’ of sushi rolls in Crossroads’ Parlor

Another original tenant has closed in Parlor KC food hall in the Crossroads.

But a replacement is already on the way.

Farm to Market Sandwich Co. closed Jan. 11 on the first floor of the food hall at 1707 Locust St. It had taken a former freight elevator space and the old wooden elevator door still serves as an awning.

In a statement, John Friend, vice president of Farm to Market Bread Co., said: “With Parlor’s business model, the plan has always been for kitchens to turn over and new concepts to open. We loved having a restaurant where we could create sandwiches out of our bread. As we map out our future plans, we’re going to be looking for a way to have a retail presence again.”

Sushi Mo! — which the owners say will “push the boundaries of traditional sushi rolls’’ — will open in the space.

Wife and husband, Sarah Nelson and Louis Guerrieri will offer classic and not-so-classic sushi rolls, bento boxes and house-made condiments, including barrel-aged soy sauce and a spicy black bean sauce made from fermented black beans.

The Duke of Orange roll will include smoked salmon, carrot, cucumber, dill and a honey shoyu sauce and is described as their “German take on a sushi roll.” Daily specials will focus on “fun combinations.”

Other items will include miso soup, edamame and mochi ice cream.

They relocated from Denver, where Guerrieri had worked in top sushi restaurants and fine dining operations. He has been working on his own sushi recipes for more than a dozen years.

Nelson, who grew up in Kearney, had also worked in fine dining in Denver.

They plan a mid-to-late February opening.

Hours will be 11 a.m to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

“The market has not been very kind to restaurants. We are trying to start this with our own capital,” Nelson said. “Parlor is giving us a really great opportunity to try out our concept and not have to provide the huge investment of a brick-and-mortar store.”

Parlor is designed so chefs can test out new concepts. They sign leases of one to three years. The business model could allow for some of the chefs to renew their leases, but after three years they would have to change their concept to keep Parlor “evergreen,” the owners said at the opening.

Original tenant Vildhast Scandinavian street food closed in April. Buns Up, a slider concept by another Parlor tenant, Mother Clucker, quickly opened in the spot.

Yaki-Ya closed in October. Mudbugs 2.0, offering “elevated” po’boy sandwiches and other items, snapped up that space.

Parlor KC opened in September 2018 with seven local food operations, a “living room” lounge and two bar areas.

This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 2:56 PM.