Lee to open second location of acclaimed M Sushi concept in 2021
Hines, Columbia Development and USAA Real Estate today announce Triangle-based chef Michael Lee will join Scott Crawford, Ford Fry and Steve Palmer in bringing extraordinary F&B experiences to Fenton, a 69-acre mixed-use destination opening next fall in Cary, North Carolina. Lee will debut his second location of M Sushi, one of the Triangle’s most popular sushi restaurants known for its high-quality seafood, in 2021.
The new M Sushi will occupy a 4,000-square-foot space located across from the hotel at Fenton and chef Scott Crawford’s steakhouse concept. Like the original, this location will focus on raw and cold applications of fresh, exotic seafood, as well as cooked and vegetarian courses, with near-daily deliveries of fresh fish from Japan, Korea and Hawaii. Unique to the Fenton location, Lee plans to incorporate a fast-casual component that showcases some of the “greatest hits” from his other three restaurants such as chicken paitan ramen, Korean fried chicken, nasi goreng, donkatsu and more. Lee’s concept at Fenton will offer an evolving menu that allows diners to try popular and exciting dishes. The fast-casual concept will also include outdoor seating and seating in front of an open kitchen so guests have the option to experience something different with each visit.
“Sushi is my first love and it’s always been my dream to expand my business beyond Durham, so this is a major milestone for M Restaurants and a great opportunity to share my passion with a broader audience of diners,” said Lee. “I was immediately drawn to Fenton because of its impressive roster of chefs already on board, including my good friend Scott Crawford. Cary is positioned to become the next hot dining destination in the Triangle, and I’m eager to be part of it.”
Although Lee is Korean, his experience cooking in the kitchens of Japanese restaurants has guided the growth of his restaurant empire, M Restaurants, which has quickly expanded throughout Durham in recent years. Lee opened the first location of M Sushi in Durham in January 2016. In 2018, he expanded with a ramen and fried chicken spot M Kokko and M Tempura, a nod to Tokyo’s tempura bars. In 2019, Lee debuted M Pocha, his take on Korean street food and his first restaurant with a full bar and cocktail program. The opening of the second location of M Sushi at Fenton will mark Lee’s first expansion outside of Durham.
“Best-in-class, chef-driven restaurants play a critical role in creating the Fenton experience. We’re foregoing mainstream chain restaurants to create a concentration of local and regional chef talent that will bring about an exciting dining destination for the town of Cary and the Triangle,” said Dotan Zuckerman, director of leasing for Columbia Development. “The high caliber of culinary talent at Fenton, along with its curated mix of retail, entertainment and other uses, will differentiate it from any other place in the Triangle.”
As one of the largest retail-driven projects currently underway in the United States, Fenton will bring nearly 345,000 square feet of curated retail and restaurant space to North Carolina’s Triangle region. Fenton’s leasing team previously announced an impressive roster of restaurants including Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, chef Steve Palmer’s Italian restaurant Colletta and chef Ford Fry’s tex-mex restaurant Superica. Other tenants include anchors Wegmans and CMX CineBistro, as well as Honeysuckle Gelato, Sephora, Free People and Bailey’s Fine Jewelry. The team plans to soon announce additional restaurants by local chefs and new-to-market retailers.
“Fenton’s leasing team made a promise to recruit the best of the best in chef talent locally and from across the Southeast, and they continue to deliver,” said Crawford. “I respect Mike tremendously for his culinary skills and track record of success as a restaurant owner, and I look forward to operating as his neighbor at Fenton in the coming years.”
Located at I-40 and Cary Towne Boulevard, Fenton will be Cary’s first vertically integrated, mixed-use destination. With site work underway and vertical construction set to begin this summer, the first phase will feature approximately 345,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and entertainment, 170,000 square feet of office space, 350 multifamily residences and a 175-key boutique hotel. In addition to the growing retail mix, the project will introduce an urban, pedestrian-focused experience to the suburban community. Its highly walkable master plan features artful paseos, active restaurant patios, varied storefronts, gathering areas programmed with events and landscapes and hardscapes that contribute to the street-level energy. Nelson Wakefield Beasley, the architecture firm known for immersive, mixed-use projects such as Avalon and Atlantic Station in metro Atlanta, is the design firm of record.
Stay up to date on Fenton’s progress, share feedback and engage on social media by following @FentonNC. For more information, visit fentonnc.com.
About Hines:
Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 219 cities in 23 countries. Hines has approximately $124.3 billion of assets under management, including $63.8 billion for which Hines provides fiduciary investment management services, and $60.5 billion for which Hines provides third-party property-level services. The firm has 148 developments currently underway around the world. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired 1,362 properties, totaling over 449 million square feet. The firm’s current property and asset management portfolio includes 514 properties, representing over 222 million square feet. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a pioneering commitment to sustainability, Hines is one of the largest and most respected real estate organizations in the world.
Visit www.hines.com for more information.
About USAA Real Estate:
The mission of USAA Real Estate is to strengthen the profitability and diversity of the USAA investment portfolio and those of its investor clients by acquiring, developing, financing and managing quality real estate investments. The portfolio consists of office, industrial/logistics, multifamily, retail and hotel properties. Visit www.usrealco.com for more information.
About Columbia Development:
Columbia Development is a privately held real estate development firm based in Columbia, South Carolina, with offices in Atlanta, Charleston, and Raleigh. With vast experience in site selection, development, finance, construction and leasing, Columbia Development is a leading retail and mixed-use developer throughout the Southeast. The firm is actively engaged in the development of mixed-use destinations, regional and neighborhood shopping centers and single-tenant retail assets. Columbia Development’s current pipeline includes a 69-acre regional mixed-use community in Cary, North Carolina, a 326,850-square-foot grocery-anchored power center in New Bern, North Carolina, a 235,477-square-foot Costco-anchored shopping center in Apex, North Carolina, and a 143,850-square-foot grocery-anchored center in Lexington, South Carolina.
