Cousins Edward Lau and Vincent Liu plan to open a Japanese restaurant, Nomu, in The Palms at Gate Parkway in December.
Nomu, at 7540 Gate Parkway, Unit 101-103, will be a small-plate Japanese restaurant with a sushi bar. It will eventually have both indoor and outdoor dining.
When it opens it will seat 123 inside and later another 15 to 20 on a covered patio.
Hai Lin will be the executive sushi chef. The owners expect to hire 25 to 30 employees.
The restaurant will primarily be open for dinner and will have a full liquor bar.
The city issued a permit Sept. 4 for AEC Integrated of Jacksonville for the build-out. The interior will be 4,758 square feet and have a 939-square-foot patio. The permit lists the cost as $335,000. However, the two will have invested close to $1 million by the time it opens, Lau said.
Doherty Sommers Architects Engineers Inc. of Jacksonville Beach is the architect.
The Palms at Gate Parkway is at northwest Gate Parkway and Burnt Mill Road. The area is at southwest Interstate 295 and Butler Boulevard, south of St. Johns Town Center and about a half-mile north of Ikea.
Jacksonville-based Ash Properties is developing Palms at Gate Parkway among three two-story buildings at 7510 (Building 3), 7540 (Building 2) and 7570 (Building 1) along Gate Parkway.
Nomu joins V Pizza, 14 Prime Steakhouse, Sidecar Jax Lounge, Fore Score Golf Tavern and Foxtail Coffee Co. at The Palms location. The restaurants will be on the first floor with second-floor space being leased for offices. Ash Properties will be moving its headquarters to the top floor of the central building.
This is the cousins’ first restaurant venture but both have worked in sushi restaurants formerly owned by their families.
Lau, 25, and Liu, 26, are graduates of Mandarin High School. Lau graduated from the University of Florida and Liu graduated from the University of Central Florida and received his master’s from the University of South Florida.
After college, both pursued careers in the financial sector. Lau was in New York City and Liu was in Los Angeles. Each was impressed with how Jacksonville grew while they were away.
“We were coming back and visiting family in Jacksonville and we’ve seen how much Jacksonville has grown over just the past five years. You know, ever since COVID, I think we saw a huge influx in the population here in Jax,” Lau said.
They chose The Palms at Gate Parkway because of the potential for customers living nearby.
“There are a lot of developments going on around the area, a lot more apartments buildings and more houses are being developed,” Liu said.
The two are combining ideas from their time in New York and Los Angeles. They see their clientele consisting of young professionals.
“We’re looking to bring something that’s more affordable and has a fun and vibrant atmosphere,” Lau said.
The average cost of a meal will be $25 to $30, he said.