PROVIDENCE — Just four months after Rory’s Market + Kitchen closed in downtown Providence, the owners of a local Japanese grocery chain said they plan on moving into the same space.
Maruichi Japanese Food & Deli, which opened as a small business called “Fuji Mart” in Greenwich, Conn., in 1991, will open in the ground floor of the Nightingale Building at 113 Washington St. sometime this spring.
The store’s parent company, Fuji Mart Corp., is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., and operates locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The upcoming Providence location will be their first in Rhode Island, and will offer a full range of Japanese groceries, sushi-grade fish, and Japanese cuts of meat, according to an announcement sent to the Globe.
Onigiri, sushi and sashimi, bento boxes, seaweed salads, and other prepared dishes will be sold at Maruichi’s deli counter. Joshua Nakama, Fuji Mart Corp.’s vice president, said the in-store cafe will serve snacks, matcha lattes, coffees, and teas where ingredients will be sourced from Japan.
When the store does open, it will be one of few grocery stores around downtown Providence since Rory’s, a high-end natural food store from Cape Cod, closed in October after only about a year of operating. Trader Joe’s, located in the Fox Point neighborhood, opened in November 2022.
Nakama said the grocer will host celebrations of Japanese culture throughout the year. Hard-to-find ingredients, such as sashimi from Tokyo’s famous Toyosu Market and Miyazaki Wagyu beef will be some of the items Maruichi’s plans to offer.
“Maruichi is all about bringing the experience of shopping in Japan to American customers,” said Nakama. “We’re constantly searching for curious communities that are eager for our unique brand of authenticity and accessibility. We’re lucky to have found that in Providence.
Maruichi Japanese Food & Deli, 113 Washington St., Providence, R.I., maruichius.net. Check their Instagram for updates on the store’s opening.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.