New BC Osaka Chinese Buffet/Stir Fry/Sushi Restaurant Opens Tuesday

The owner of Joliet's newest restaurant is hoping that buffet tables laden with Chinese food and made-to-order stir fry and sushi -- all without limit and for one price -- will prove too good a deal for customers to pass up.

BC Osaka, the fourth in a chain owned by Peter Zheng, opens Tuesday. It fills the 2811 Plainfield Road location, across from the Louis Joliet Mall, that had been home to Old Country Buffet until it closed in January.

The 10,000-square-foot restaurant can seat 350 people, Zheng said, and will employ 12 to 15 full- and part-time staff members. They're still hiring, he said.

The interior space has been completely remodeled in a green-and-beige color scheme, and seven or eight buffet tables line the front of the restaurant. However, the thing that sets it apart from other Chinese buffets, Zheng said, are its Hibachi grill, where customers can pick the ingredients for custom-made stir fry and a sushi chef who will make items to order as patrons watch.

Prices are $7.99 for lunch and $11.99 for dinner. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The concept has worked well at the three other BC Osaka restaurants that Zheng owns in Northlake, Countryside and Merrillville, Ind., he said.

In addition to the mix of Asian cuisines, the restaurant will also serve some American and Italian options to cater to children and others who may not be fans of Chinese, he added.

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