Next Door by Wegmans, located in Manhattan and inspired by its Rochester counterpart, presents itself as an upscale sushi dining experience. However, amidst the competitive New York sushi scene, characterized by lower-priced options like Momoyo Soho and Sugarfish, its high prices and restaurant aesthetics raise questions about its place in such a vibrant food market. Although some sourced fish comes from Tokyo's Toyosu Market, many locals wonder if the lavish concept will resonate with the cityâs diverse palate. This creates an interesting dichotomy between expectations and deliverables for New Yorkers and Wegmans' loyal customers.
Downtown New York is a big restaurant playground, and for a newcomer to waltz in with fake trees and wooden chopsticks, run by a team that appears to be imagining what New Yorkers want - for high-dollar prices - Next Door by Wegmans feels out of place in a city brimming with sushi options.
When suburban supermarket Wegmans made its NYC debut in Brooklyn's Navy Yard in 2019, New Yorkers freaked out. The Rochester-based company followed with a Manhattan store at Astor Place in 2023, which included the plan to add its upscale sushi restaurant Next Door.
This Next Door is the second location after the original grocery store restaurant in Rochester. The menu purports to be the market's "take on contemporary Japanese cuisine," using ingredients from its seafood department (flown in from Tokyo's famed Toyosu Fish Market).
This is all to say that Next Door is not expensive by New York sushi standards, but its restaurant trappings don't match its prices.
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