BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Opening day festivities occurred Tuesday as Sakura Mankai Cafe officially opened the doors to their new location at Main Street, Beckley.
The eatery – which draws inspiration from the Cherry Blossom – offers Japanese-style cuisine in an array of options for breakfast and lunch.
As part of Tuesday’s opening day celebration, the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony which attracted substantial attention from passersby in Downtown Beckley.
Sakura Mankai Cafe owner Jessica Currence first approached the Chamber of Commerce with the business idea last year after relocating to the Raleigh County area.
“We moved here a year ago and we wanted to put down roots. We wanted a forever home and we found that here,” said Currence on Tuesday. “It’s been amazing getting ready for this, a dream come true.”
“We are so excited that through working with The Hive [Jessica] has been able to bring [Sakura Mankai Cafe] to fruition. This is a great addition to Beckley,” said Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce President Michelle Rotellini.
Also in attendance was representative from the office of the United States Senator Joe Manchin, Ben Spurlock who addressed those in attendance and shared a few words on the Senator’s behalf.
“It’s a pleasure to be here on behalf of the Senator to congratulate and commemorate this exciting grand opening,” began Spurlock.
“We all know the secret to success for any restaurant is having delicious food, great service that creates an excellent customer experience and the Mountain State is a prime location of meet those needs,” read the Senator’s remarks.
“Small businesses like Sakura Mankai Cafe are the backbone of our communities. Today’s grand opening is particularly exciting because not only does it showcase the growth of this beautiful city, but also that local residents need to look no further than right here in West Virginia for the very best of eats and treats.”
City of Beckley Ward 3 Councilman Robert Dunlap spoke briefly at Tuesday’s event as well on behalf of Mayor Rappold who was running behind schedule.
“We’re just excited that uptown [Beckley] is starting to see the growth that we’ve invested in and that frankly cannot happen without quality families like the Currences,” said Councilman Dunlap. “This should inspire the one that’s home watching on Facebook or social media. Invest in yourself. Invest in our town. Make it better because you want it to be better.”
Sakura Mankai Cafe is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday-Friday. More information can be found here.
Sakura Mankai Cafe hosts Grand Opening, Ribbon-Cutting
