Automated Sushi

A new place opened recently on my corner and today I stopped in.
How Do You Roll...   is the name of the place
 
I was amazed while watching them prepare the custom rolls for the people in line.
 
You have a choice of seaweed or some sort of soy wrapper and white or brown rice.  The amazing part was the rice.  It was preformed in a thin sheet to fit the wrapper.
 
You then had your choice of 3 vegetables/fruits and then one protein.  At that point they manually rolled it in to a log.
 
Then...  They put it in a slicer that cut it into 10 equal pieces.  Just like a bread slicing machine.
 
Placed on a plate or take out container and then you had your choice of sauces.  Cool!
 
I had (and ate before thinking about a photo)...
 
Tamago, shiiataki mushrrom, avocado and spicy tuna wrapped up in white rice and seaweed.  My choice of sauce was spicy mayonnaise.
 
It was fast, fresh and very good.  $8.95 was a bit steep, I thought but it was quite filling.
 
See a video here:
 
http://www.howdoyouroll.c...s.php?id=6&video=7
 
They started in Austin, Texas of all places and now have locations in Florida, Arizona and my corner in Marina del Rey.
 
Looking to buy a franchise?  I think this may be the ground floor.
 
 

I've driven buy the one in Phoenix. It's located in an area with some other Funky Fast Service places. Figured it was a sushi joint or a bakery, wasn't sure! I'll give it a try if I'm in the area sometime. Not a part of town where I usually go.

I'd love to hear your opinion.  I don't think my corner is the right location for success.  Needs to be near a college or a lot of businesses. Oh wait.  I'm right behind a hospital and a lot of medical buildings.  I guess they could have the lunch crowd, but it may be lacking for dinner customers.
 
The man in front of me put strawberries, pineapple, asparagus and raw tuna in his.  Covered it with sweet chili sauce.
 
Definitely a make it your way type of place.

I just don't know enough about sushi to figure out what I would like. I would need to try regular sushi items for awhile.

I think I'm entirely too much of a sushi purist to think it's ok for someone to randomly put a collection of things into a roll with a random sauce.  Although my favourite place here in town does do a fabulous mango-avocado-cream cheese roll... I dunno. I might try it once if I saw one, but it just doesn't sound like something I'd go for.

In theory I like sitting at the sushi bar and ordering one thing at a time until I've had my fill.
 
I love watching the sushi chef prepare each item while sipping on a Sapporo... both me an the chef.  There used to be a place here where you tipped by buying the chef a beer.  You also tipped with money when through.
 
This place is for a quick pick me up something to eat now type of place.
 
The rice wasn't fresh out of the rice cooker, but it wasn't bad.