Fujisan Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar Celebrates Grand Opening In Fairfax

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — On Thursday morning, business leaders and elected officials joined Karen Yan, owner of the new Fujisan Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar in Fairfax City, for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

“It’s a Japanese restaurant, but it’s more,” Yan told Patch. “We have sushi bar food and kitchen food. So, for people who like raw fish, they buy sushi. People who don’t like raw fish so much, we have hibachi —cooked food — and a lot of appetizers.”

Although Fujisan officially opened on Thursday, the restaurant had its soft launch exactly one month prior. Yan said that business has been up and down since then, but she expects things to pick up now that the restaurant has a full bar and daily happy hour.

This is not Yan’s first foray into operating a restaurant, having managed one in Maryland. As to why she decided to open a business in Fairfax City, Yad had a simple answer.

"I moved to Fairfax and became a resident here," she said. "For a year or more, I wasn't working and, honestly, I started thinking about what I wanted to do. I like this area a lot. I think I'm going to settle down here."

One of the people who lives close to the restaurant is Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read, who spoke before the ribbon cutting.

"I've heard about this from my neighbors like five days after you opened, so there's been a lot of word of mouth," she told Yan. "But this takes it to the next level. Everybody in the city should be aware that this is a brand new offering in our restaurant and dining scene. Every day, every week, it seems like we add new restaurants to the city, really making this a destination place for amazing cuisine."

William Page Johnson, who also participated in Thursday's ceremony, noted that as the city's commissioner of revenue he sees firsthand the economic growth of small businesses like Yan's.

"I shared with her that 70 percent of the businesses in city are small businesses like Karen's and they are the backbone of our economy. We're so glad you're here and we look forward to counting the money with you," he said, eliciting a laugh from those in attendance.

"Everybody's been just so warm and welcoming and I really appreciate it," Yan said.

Fujisan Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar is located at 10698 Fairfax Blvd. next to the Party City in the Shops at Fairfax. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m.-9 a.m. Customers can dine in or place an order for carryout by calling 571-407-7105 or visiting Fujisan’s website.