A new Japanese entertainment center featuring bowling and an arcade opened Oct. 10 in Ventura alongside a food hall serving ramen, curry and pizza.
Round1 Bowling & Arcade and the YUU Japanese Food Hall, the first such cafeteria in the United States, took over the former Sears space at the Pacific View Mall in Ventura.
The food hall features 14 restaurants, each representing a specific region in Japan, said Tomomi Hiroishi, director of food hall planning for Round One Entertainment Inc., during an Oct. 9 media preview.
“(The restaurants are) very famous within their local area, but most of them have never been outside of either that town or city,” he said.
A soft opening for media, friends and family was held Oct. 9. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to
2 a.m. daily, with the last orders for food or alcohol at 1 a.m.
Round1 had its grand opening shortly before its public debut Oct. 10 and featured a traditional sake barrel breaking and ribbon cutting at the first-level entrance to Round 1 and the food hall, said spokesperson Kerri Harper in an email. The first 300 guests in line received a tote bag.
Ventura was selected for the first U.S. location of YUU Japanese Food Hall because the location was available, the landlord was supportive and the timing worked out, said Hirotoshi Takahashi, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Round One Entertainment, Inc., speaking through a translator.
The 14 eateries were selected to bring authentic Japanese flavors to the U.S., Takahashi said.
“There’s so many restaurants in Japan that people line up for hours to eat but they haven’t franchised, not even within Japan,” he said.
Isaiah Sano, a food hall support manager and Rio Mesa High alum, said managers for each restaurant spent about three and a half months at the original locations in Japan learning how to prepare food and train employees.
Sano oversees Ramen Tonjinchi, known for its ramen featuring a sardine-based broth.
He said the restaurant’s hometown of Himi is known for its fishing industry, contributing to the broth’s fresh flavor.
“I love it,” he said, adding he doesn’t get tired of eating the ramen.
The food hall occupies the ground floor, while bowling, arcade games and karaoke are upstairs.
The venue includes 14 bowling lanes that use string pins, said Jissel Acevedo, a manager trainee. Round1 opened its first U.S. location in 2010 in the City of Industry, where Acevedo works.
"It’s exciting to see the company growing a lot," she said.
The Ventura location is similar to the City of Industry location except for slightly fewer bowling lanes and the use of string pins.
Acevedo said the company’s crane games and some arcade games are imported from Japan. Other Southern California Round1 locations are in Burbank, Lakewood and Santa Ana.
The company started in December 1980, when founder Masahiko Sugino established a company named Sugino Kosan and opened a roller skate facility with arcade games,according to the company’s website.
As Round1 grew, it expanded into bowling, opening its first Round1 in 1993.
“We’re excited to welcome YUU Japanese Food Hall with Round1 to Pacific View Mall for its first U.S. location,” said Steve Casella, executive vice president of leasing at Pacific Retail Capital Partners, which purchased the Ventura mall last month. “It’s a unique addition to Ventura and brings a new kind of dining and entertainment experience to the community.”
For more about Round1, visit:www.round1usa.com.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura's Pacific View Mall opens Round1 Bowling, Japanese food hall
