According to recent reporting, a new anime themed restaurant called Izakaya will open this fall at the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Dayton at 2727 Fairfield Commons, in the former home of Spinoza’s Pizza and Good Spirits. When it opens, Izakaya will serve cocktails, pizza and Korean corn dogs and will bring Japanese pop culture to Ohio by hosting anime watch parties and trivia nights, karaoke and cosplay events.
Adam Smith, co-owner of Izakaya, tells What Now Columbus that he’s been influenced by Japanese pop culture since childhood and grew up playing Japanese card games and watching anime. Smith also owns two other businesses that center around Japanese pop culture: Nani!?, a shop that sells items related to anime and Japanese pop culture, as well as the Pokemon merchandise store Original 151.
Although his other businesses are in the retail space, Smith shared that like his love of Japanese pop culture, the food and beverage industry is something he’s long felt drawn to.
“I’ve always wanted to do something with food, so when my business partner saw something like Izakaya on a trip to Texas, we decided to take a shot at doing something similar,” Smith said.
The decor inside Izakaya will pay homage to anime through statues, neon signs and with anime playing on TVs throughout the restaurant. And Smith says there will be both a cocktail and non-alcoholic mocktail menu that will be designed around the anime theme as well. In addition to mixed drinks, there will also be a selection of Japanese wines, saki and other spirits and draft beers.
