An independent Japanese hibachi grill restaurant is the latest business with plans to open in the soon-to-be developed area next to Costco in south Lafayette.
Tian Lei Tang, who has operated restaurants over the past 30 years and opened a Chinese buffet in the 1990s, will open a yet-to-be-named restaurant next to be built next to where Smalls Sliders will locate near the intersection of Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Creek Farm Road.
The restaurant will feature the hibachi-style experience, also known as teppanyaki, with food served over an open flame. It will be the latest food establishment planned for that area, which will be the second phase of the Ambassador Town Center. It will also be close to the site Dave & Busters is targeting to open a Lafayette store.
Tang will lease the land from Lafayette developer Phil Devey, who bought the property last month for just over $1.45 million. Devey bought the adjoining parcel for Smalls Sliders for $1.1 million and is under contract to buy another.
“There is a lot of growth and strong traffic counts along Ambassador,” Tang said. “We are excited to be breaking ground in an area that will continue to develop around us.”
The restaurant’s concept won’t be unique to Lafayette, he said, but it will include space to entertain large groups and host special events with 12 hibachi tables, four of which will be in a private dining area. Chefs there will prepare food in front of customers in an entertaining fashion, he said, and it will also feature a sushi bar and a cocktail bar.
Tang has been involved in restaurants for 30 years, dating back to his job as a busboy in a Chinese restaurant in New York before learning other aspects of the industry. He moved to Lafayette to open Buffet City on Ambassador Caffery Parkway in the late 1990s and has been involved with other restaurants since then.
Construction is expected to start in October. The restaurant is expected to employ 40.
The property will be southeast of where site that Dave & Busters is believed to be interested in building. The company’s permit filed in June for property at 201 Spring Farm Road remains under review.
The entire section of land between Costco and Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center could be sold by the end of the year. Other developments planned include luxury apartments and a Discount Tire location.
https://www.theadvocate.com/article_5fb38dea-225e-11ed-b666-e714b8cb07f7.html