Sushi by Bou experiences are curated from the entry and design to music and food. | Photo courtesy of Sushi by Bou.
Off of New York City’s busy Times Square, guests duck into the Sanctuary Hotel, where they are directed down a staircase into what was once a luggage storage space. There, they find a small sushi bar where an intimate omakase experience awaits.
It’s a concept known as Sushi by Bou, which launched in 2017 as an “approachable luxury,” with a 12-course experience for less than $100.
Only this is no staid, hushed sushi service.
The music is lively. The walls pop with graffiti-inspired murals. And the goal is for a group of strangers to leave as friends bound by the shared experience, and perhaps a few cocktails.
“We turned the traditional omakase experience into our own,” said CEO Erika London. “Typically, omakases are sterile, inaccessible by price point. And they usually feel intimidating because of that price point, and because people don’t know what it is.”
Sushi by Bou outlets have a full bar and feature sake, Japanese whiskies and more. | Photo courtesy of Sushi by Bou.
That’s why Sushi by Bou bills itself as omakase “for the people.”
It’s also a concept that owner/operator Simplevenue, based in South Florida, is replicating across the country.
There are now 20 Sushi by Bou outlets, mostly in hotels, from a W Hotel in Hoboken, New Jersey, to the Peery Hotel in Salt Lake City. A Sushi by Bou is scheduled to open in April at the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland, and it’ll be one of the biggest yet, serving up to 16 guests.
Yes, only 16. It’s meant to be an intimate affair.
The concept was first launched in partnership with chef David Bouhadana (he’s the “bou”), an American chef who trained in Japan, and who founded concepts like Sushi On Jones in New York, and Sunset Sushi and Alley Cat Izakaya in Florida.
Bouhadana remains a partner and executive chef, but Sushi by Bou has evolved, said London, a co-founder.
The beauty of the concept is that hotels can take obscure, underutilized spaces pretty much anywhere in their buildings to create these speakeasy-vibe, revenue-generating experiences.
None are bigger than about 1,000-square feet (they average between 500- and 750-square feet), but London said the concept is generating an average unit volume between $1.2 million and $1.8 million.
“The more undesirable the space is for the hotel, the more desirable it is for us,” said London.
Ushering guests down some random hallway or into what appears to be a closet just adds to the uniqueness of the experience. And it creates an amenity or destination for the hotel.
In fact, no Sushi by Bou experience is the same, though the menus might be familiar, they are very customizable, London said.
The brand has evolved to include three omakase tiers.
The signature tier is about $70 for the 12-courses. Guests can add in drinks, a la carte items and dessert. A second more-elevated (Bougie Omakase) tier, featuring higher-end dishes, is between $100 to $125.
Then an even-higher-still Reserve tier is $160 to $175, depending on location, with luxury elements like caviar bumps, foie gras snow, or wagyu upgrades. Guests might get branded headbands, which adds to the merriment.
Chefs walk guests through the courses. | Photo courtesy of Sushi by Bou.
The seatings are timed. The staff-to-guest ratio is high. And Simplevenue has developed several other omakase-like variations. There’s a plant-based menu called Omakaseed, and the meat-focused Wagyu Room.
An even more tiny omakase experience dubbed Sushi Suite is designed for four to six guests. It’s hosted in a hotel suite, and diners check in at the hotel registration and get a room key, which opens to a magically intimate sushi occasion (at a higher price and for a longer seating time), said London.
As the concept has grown across the country, most Sushi by Bou locations have been owned and operated by Simplevenue. But London said the two most recent locations—Cleveland and Salt Lake City—have been licensing arrangements with the hotels, which is something they plan to continue to explore.
For 2026, the company expects to open 11 outlets. Beyond that, they are hoping to maintain at least 10 to 12 more per year.
Some hotels have taken on more than one concept. The Hotel 3232 in New York City, for example, has a Sushi by Bou, a Sushi Suite and also the Wagyu Room, each in a separate space.
Omakase menus are widely available across the country, said London.
But most appeal to a very high-end customer. Sushi by Bou injects some energy into the experience, and makes it accessible to regular folk—while still also appealing to those high-end customers.
“Each of these has their own vibe,” said London. “It’s not only about the food. It’s more about experiential dining.”
