Pan-Asian restaurant Tanuki to open a second Miami location at River Landing after finding success in Miami Beach

As a sign that Miami’s restaurant industry is on the road to recovery, the recently opened  River Landing Shops & Residences on the Miami River just signed a lease with its first upscale restaurant. Tanuki is a modern Pan-Asian eatery serving an extensive array of Japanese & Chinese. The restaurant will occupy 3,300 square feet of space along the scenic Miami River west of downtown Miami.

Scheduled to open in Q4 2021, this will be Tanuki’s second location in Miami-Dade County, joining its current establishment in Miami Beach. River Landing, which opened a few months ago, is a 2.2-million-square-foot mixed-use development owned by Toronto-based H&R REITand developed by Coral Gables-based Urban-X Group.

Tanuki is part of Bulldozer Group, a restaurant investment and brand management company which operates in the Middle East, USA, Hong Kong, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Its cuisines range from Japanese and Asian to Italian, Mediterranean and Peruvian to name a few. Bulldozer’s iconic dining brands include Gaia, Shanghai Me, Virgin Izakaya, Ichu, Cipriani Dubai, Scalini Dubai, Osteria La Baia New York (opening Q2 2021). The Group also oversees an array of popular club brands including Socialista, BASE, 1OAK Dubai, Queen Club.

“This lease speaks very highly of Miami and the flourishing Mid River District, which is just five minutes from downtown Miami,” said Coralee Penabad, co-principal of Urban-X Group. “Bulldozer has done a great job selecting strategic locations for its restaurants in cities like Miami Beach, New York City, Dubai, Moscow and Monte Carlo. We are very proud to bring upscale dining to an area that has one of the highest concentrations of discretionary income in the region. It is not a coincidence that the few restaurants on the Miami River are some of the most successful in Miami. We welcome Tanuki to the Miami River and are happy to host them at River Landing.”

Tanuki is an international Pan-Asian concept with more than 70 locations around the world. Guests at Tanuki will enter a gateway to a unique Asian culinary experience. Tanuki features dishes and drinks inspired by the Japanese, Chinese, and cuisines from all over Asia. Its menu is thoughtfully curated and seasonally updated featuring sushi, sashimi, dim sum, and signature hot and cold Asian fusion dishes all created with a contemporary approach in preparation and presentation. In addition to an impressive sake and wine list, unique Asian fusion cocktails complement the cuisine.

“We are thrilled to be part of this amazing one-of-a-kind Riverfront development on Miami River and have some very exciting plans for the upcoming Tanuki Miami River,” said Pallava Goenka, Managing Partner Bulldozer USA & Goenka Hospitality.

Tanuki will be a part of River Landing’s 25,500-square-foot restaurant row along its Riverwalk overlooking the river. The restaurant row can be divided into seven concept restaurants, including from fine dining to casual and family-style outlets. River Landing is currently in lease negotiations with a second upscale restaurant that will occupy a larger space.

“We envision River Landing becoming a cornerstone dining destination in Miami where visitors will be able to dine and relax right along the scenic Miami River,” said Andrew Hellinger, co-principal of Urban-X Group. “Bringing in a renowned upscale establishment like Tanuki, which has already found success in Miami Beach, is an important step in turning our vision into fruition. As the restaurant industry begins to recover from the pandemic, we are seeing a growing interest from restaurateur operators who are bullish in the Miami market. We expect to make further announcements about our fine-dining offerings in the coming weeks.”

The retail component of River Landing, at 1500 NW North River Drive, is currently home to Publix Supermarkets, Ross Dress for Less, Hobby Lobby Burlington Stores, Five Below, Chase Bank, Old Navy, AT&T and Planet Fitness. T.J. Maxx is scheduled to open on Feb. 21. Openings in the spring and summer of 2021 include Chick-Fil-A, Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, Ulta Beauty, Ficelle Boulangerie & Patisserie, Sapphire Prive Med Spa, Pediatric Dental Center and Aspen Dental. River Landing’s retail space is more than 81% leased four month after completing construction.

The sprawling waterfront development features retail, office, apartments, a landscaped riverwalk, green spaces for enjoyment, cultural events and boat docks. River Landing, which has injected life into a long-forgotten pocket of Miami, anchors the up-and-coming Mid River District.

River Landing is located steps away from the Health District, with a daytime population of more than 50,000. Strategically located between downtown Miami and Miami International Airport, River Landing is helping to meet the growing demand for retail, dining, grocery, banking, and lifestyle services. It is one of the few retail, office, and residential developments that is accessible by boat in Miami.

By incorporating the Miami River into the project, River Landing offers visitors an experience that can’t be replicated. The new development offers a large open, outdoor atrium that connects the retail stores and creates a communal space for residents and visitors to enjoy while maintaining social distancing. Its design merges interior and exterior environments, allowing retailers to extend into the riverfront patio and atrium spaces to enhance the overall customer experience.

The mixed-use development consists of approximately 346,000 square feet of retail/commercial space, 135,000 square feet of office, 528 market-rate apartments, more than 2,000 parking spaces and the 25-foot-wide riverwalk.

River Landing is accessible by Miami-Dade’s main thoroughfares: Interstate 95 and State Road 836. The complex has proximity to two Metrorail stations and the rapid transit system that connects all the major hospitals and research centers to Downtown Miami, East Kendall and Hialeah as well as the Tri-Rail, a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.

For nearly 13 years, Urban-X Group successfully sought to reshape this long-time overlooked submarket of Miami’s urban core. They challenged their team to build a sense of community starting with elegant architecture, inviting retail, residents and the community to enjoy an open environment along the shores of the Miami River. The end result is a full service live-work community of offices, shops, restaurants, luxury apartments and access to the riverfront.

For more information visit: https://riverlandingmiami.com/ or contact Top of Mind PR at info@topofmind-pr.com.