On a roll: eeZ Fusion & Sushi remains a staple of Huntersville dining for 20 years

If you’ve had the chance to talk to a single person in the restaurant industry, you likely have a small window into the grit and determination it takes to keep this type of business afloat.

Only around half of all restaurants survive past their fifth year — a demand to maintain relevance, razor-thin margins and struggles with staff retention are practically baked into the concept.

So I am always impressed — and rather curious — when restaurateurs do manage to operate for well over a decade, or in this case, two.

eeZ Fusion & Sushi, part of Birkdale Village in Huntersville, is a locally owned eatery that first opened in 2005, a time when Birkdale itself and the surrounding area looked very different.

“Prior to eeZ being eeZ, it was a small franchised grill concept,” owner Alan Springate said. “The concept was failing, and I was forced to quickly change the concept into a restaurant that better fit the market.”

His goal was to shift the concept to an “independent scratch kitchen” serving fresh Asian dishes, and he did so quickly — within a matter of weeks.

Today, eeZ (simply a backward take on the phonetic sound of the letter “Z”) strives to serve some of the freshest sushi in Lake Norman, alongside a wide variety of rice and noodle dishes, an Omakase experience and bento boxes.

The restaurant was also named the winner of the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Sushi poll in 2023.

Master sushi chef Rifali Almunir and head chef Son Nguyen, longtime anchors of the kitchen, continue pushing the envelope with their offerings. Almunir has been with eeZ since 2011 and Nguyen since 2007.

EeZ was actually the first Lake Norman restaurant I ever visited. I was in town for only 48 hours to sign an apartment lease, and a local friend offered to take me out. It was a midweek evening, but the place was packed. It’s been the same every time I’ve been since, whether it’s for lunch outside on the patio or to sit at the bar and order apps.

Inside, it’s a buzzy atmosphere that often requires a wait if you haven’t made reservations, but it’s got an easy, neighborhood feel, as well.

The sushi is, of course, one of the most popular draws, whether it’s the restaurant’s specialty firecracker roll (shrimp tempura, yellowtail and salmon) or its popular crispy rice topped with fresh tuna and avocado. As a true “fusion” menu, there are lots of hot entrees, as well — pad thai, kung pao chicken and brothy ramens.

From the first time I stepped foot in eeZ to now, it has continued to strike a balance between being just casual enough for an easy family outing while still serving as a nice date night option.

A lot has changed over the years. Huntersville grew from a population of around 36,000 residents to 66,000 today. Birkdale Village also expanded, adding new high end shops, lots of eateries and new housing.

“As Birkdale was reinventing itself, we opted to do the same,” Springate said. “Our remodel was a chance to not only refresh the look and feel of the restaurant but also to properly fix some operational challenges that lived in our restaurant. We moved our sushi bar into the center of the restaurant and made it a focal point. Sushi has become such a large part of what we are that we wanted a beautiful way to show it off.”

After undergoing a $1 million revamp in 2022, the restaurant is also now larger, with a different primary entrance for better flow and a separate entrance for pickup and takeout.

And of course, the Covid pandemic has been another challenge to weather.

“We quickly realized it wasn’t enough to just provide the best product and guest experience; we decided it was time to start really focusing on culture inside the unit, as well,” says Jennifer Brantley, eeZ’s head of culture and communications. “It was a very trying time for hospitality in general, but we learned a lot and came out of it stronger due to the support of the community around us and our dedicated team.”

Another thing eeZ attributes to its longevity is a dedication to the surrounding community, from partnerships with nonprofits like the HEARTest Yard and The Justin Thomas Foundation to appearances at various area venues where the sushi chefs can hand-roll on site.

“eeZ has remained part of the community for so long because it offers something different and in a comfortable neighborhood feel,” Springate said. “So many of our guests are truly our good friends now. This is also where I live and my own community.”

Its sister concept, The Cowfish, is also a successful Charlotte enterprise.

There are a few things the team wants to focus on next: continuing to grow the sushi program, along with the omakase experience, and working to make the drinks and bar service more of an attraction on its own accord.

While the stats on restaurants failing in the first years are pretty easy to pull, it’s much harder to find reliable data on survival past a decade — and that’s because it’s really that much of a rare achievement to pull off. Supporting local pays off, and if you haven’t given your favorite restaurant owner a fist bump recently for their service, take this as your sign.

eeZ

Location: Birkdale Village, 16925 Birkdale Commons Pkwy F, Huntersville, NC 28078

Menu

Cuisine: Asian, sushi

Instagram: @eezfusion

Sunny Hubler

The Charlotte Observer

Sunny Hubler is a Charlotte-based editor, writer and journalism instructor. You can catch her teaching yoga and meditation in her free time, nerding out over good books, exchanging travel stories or trying to get a 2/6 on Wordle.