FujiSan Sushi replaces Tu Taco next semester – The Sunflower

In early May, students were asked to take a poll to select a restaurant to replace Tu Taco at the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC). When polls closed earlier this summer, a sushi restaurant won by 1,000 votes, beating Italian restaurant Ciao Bella.

This new restaurant, FujiSan Handcrafted Sushi, will bring poke, boba, and various types of sushi to the RSC in time for the upcoming fall semester.

This change occurs annually and is not the result of any dissatisfaction with Tu Taco, according to Jamie Kraisinger, executive director of the dining program.

“It’s just part of the routine,” Kraisinger said. “I can tell you that I was personally very sad when it was over, it was my favorite piece so far.”

Tu Taco was part of the Student Choice Concept, where the student body votes each year on the new restaurant they would like to see at the RSC. Tu Taco opened in August 2023 and will close at the end of the spring semester of 2024.

According to Kraisinger, student input is the most important aspect in selecting a new restaurant at the RSC.

“I oversee the dining program, but without the students and their food preferences, I wouldn’t have a job and we wouldn’t have an operation,” Kraisinger said. “That’s really our entire program… restaurant selection is based on the students’ wants and needs and how we can help meet those needs.”

Restaurants in both the RSC and Braeburn Square will be considered when selecting poll options. The RSC board will select the final options for students to vote on.

Each year, students can expect the unit in which Tu Taco and FujiSan are offered to change. Kraisinger also mentioned a few other changes to expect in the fall. The Cargill Cafe will offer a meal exchange with FujiSan, where students on meal plans can choose sushi as their main course.

FujiSan Handcrafted Sushi opens on August 12th.