Copyright © 2026 Boston Neighborhood News, Inc.
A restaurateur from Quincy is hoping to open a Japanese-themed restaurant at a ground-floor retail space at 1970 Dorchester Ave. next to Ashmont station.
Plans for a 30-seat eatery, with take-out— called Tori Japan— were discussed last Monday evening (Aug. 24) during a virtual meeting with abutters organized by city officials.
Ryan Spitz, an attorney representing Tony Wu, who operates an eatery under the same name on Boylston Street in Boston, discussed the concept during the meeting.
Later, in an interview with The Reporter, Wu said that Tori Japan will bring “Japanese food into a quick-service format, so guests can enjoy quality meals made fresh, made for them, and made quickly.”
He said the restaurant will operate around three pillars: teppanyaki – freshly cooked teriyaki-style meals prepared in front of the customer – sushi; and bento boxes.
The restaurant would not have a liquor license and has no plan to apply for one at this time.
“The experience begins the moment guests walk through the door, not when the food arrives,” said Wu (no relation to the Boston mayor). “With a clean, stylish Japanese design and the sizzle of made-to-order cooking, we want to bring the energy of a Japanese festival into the space, letting customers watch their food being prepared while they wait. We aim to bring that same culturally rich, clean, and welcoming atmosphere to the heart of Boston.”
The business would occupy roughly 1,600 square feet on the ground floor of a mainly residential five-story building that was erected by the developer Doug George. next to the southern entrance to Ashmont MBTA station
The 56-unit apartment complex was approved in 2019 and opened to residents in 2025, but the retail space has been unused until now.
Wu and his team will need zoning relief to operate in the Dorchester Avenue subdistrict. While he wasn’t present for the meeting, he said that Spitz had briefed him about the positive feedback and concerns, specifically those around parking and trash.
“We were cited for a variance for off-street parking,” explained Spitz. “What’s required in this sub-district is .3 parking spaces per seat. We have 30 total seats; it would be the equivalent of nine parking spaces that we would provide. But there is no feasibility of allowing any sort of parking on the street.
“We’re in the hopes that it is going to be more of a neighborhood restaurant where a lot of people will walk to its current location, as well as being so accessible to the Ashmont train station,” he said.
Such is the case for many restaurants in the neighborhood, but some residents worry the take-out option will increase the frequency of double-parking.
Said Spitz: “I do understand the issues around parking, double parking. The only thing I can ask is that my client be aware of it and try to advise his clients, but sometimes it’s out of his control.”
As for trash, Spitz said his client is committed to ensuring the “beautiful street” is “kept up and maintained.” He added,“Just like any other commercial business is required to do, they will have a private company come in and take that trash out.”
Mixed among the concerns were statements of excitement. One resident was happy to see the diversity of the restaurants in the neighborhood reflect that of the community.
“Our mission is to approach every part of our business, our skills, our service, and our environment with a mindset of continuous improvement, so we can consistently deliver quality, value, and a great experience to our customers,” said Wu, who wants to open as soon as possible. “We look forward to serving the Ashmont community and to making our customers happy.”
Copyright © 2026 Boston Neighborhood News, Inc.
