The official opening of Okami Shepparton on Friday, May 13, was short and sweet so customers could filter in for their reservations before the dinner rush started.
On opening night, Okami Shepparton owner Jack Yang was expecting 112 people for dinner.
Mr Yang cut the ribbon alongside City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Kim O’Keeffe — who happened to be in for dinner — to declare Okami Shepparton officially a part of the Fryers St culinary strip.
With Shepparton such a multicultural and diverse market that was experiencing rapid growth, Mr Yang said he and his team were hopeful they would see their 110-seat capacity dining room full on a regular basis.
“Because we wanted to further expand, we came to the mutual realisation with head office that Shepparton could be a really good location,” he said.
Mr Yang and his wife Lesley are also the franchisees of Okami in Bendigo.
Mrs Yang is managing the Bendigo shop, while Mr Yang has moved over to oversee the new Shepparton store.
“We thought about commuting, but I don’t think that is very practical, so we have moved to Shepparton to be on the floor to provide the right level of customer service to Shepparton customers,” Mr Yang said.
Going forward the couple will divide and conquer, one in Shepparton and one in Bendigo, to ensure that both stores run smoothly and provide a top standard of customer service.
Okami Shepparton is open from 5.30pm to 10pm Tuesday to Thursday, 5pm to 11pm Friday and Saturday, and noon to 3pm then 5pm to 10pm on Sundays.
To book, phone 9034 3996.