A downtown Gainesville space left vacant for nearly two years is seeing new life — and new flavors — with the opening of a Japanese-inspired restaurant.
Kushi & Co., which opened March 4 in Bo Diddley Plaza, specializes in yakitori, a style of skewered street food. It is designed as an approachable, community-focused dining space.
Award-winning chef and co-owner Charlie Keller, 42, brings years of experience to this concept, including two years as executive chef at Hotel Eleo and two years at Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille. Keller said he has been part of 16 restaurants and helped open about 11 in the course of his career.
“This is my first foray for myself and for my wife … before, it was always for somebody else,” Keller said. “This one is very special – it’s ours.”
Anthony Lyons, a former Gainesville city manager and vice president of the real estate development firm AMJ Group Inc., came up with the idea for the restaurant. Seeing potential in the empty space, he approached Keller with the concept. The two opened the restaurant together.
Its location in Bo Diddley Plaza helped shape the restaurant’s concept. Surrounded by concerts, festivals and steady foot traffic, the space lends itself to the kind of casual, social dining atmosphere Keller said he hoped to create.
The outdoor patio opens onto Bo Diddley Plaza, with music playing and customers moving through the space. String lights hung by Keller and his wife stretch overhead, while spray-painted tables designed by a local graffiti artist add a colorful touch. Keller’s New York accent can be heard across the patio as he greets passersby.
“You might not even know people next to you, but you strike up a conversation,” Keller said.
The menu features a variety of skewers, including chicken, steak and shrimp, along with rice dishes and house-made sides. The recipes are entirely gluten-free, a decision Keller said was easy because his sister has celiac disease.
“It’s not really the kind of food I usually eat, but I really enjoyed it,” James Scannella, a University of Florida sophomore, said. “It’s very different, but really good.”
Scannella said he came to check out the new spot between classes. He added the restaurant’s location and casual feel could make it popular among students.
Keller said creating a welcoming environment is at the center of the restaurant’s mission.
“I just want people to come here… enjoy themselves and forget about the world for a minute,” he said, flashing a smile at a group of customers walking past.
As the restaurant enters its first month, Keller said he hopes it becomes a place where people from all backgrounds can gather and connect.
“People are everything. Nothing else matters,” he said. “We wouldn’t have business if it wasn’t for people.”
