The prolific Michael Lee is opening a second M Sushi in Fenton, the expansive, 92-acre development opening in Cary in 2021. 

This second M Sushi will draw on many of the elements that have made M Sushi a success, with an evolving seafood menu that incorporates fresh fish from Japan, Korea, and Hawaii, while playing into a “fast-casual” vibe that incorporates dishes from Lee’s other restaurants, M Kokko and M Tempura. There will also be outdoor seating in addition to indoor seating and open kitchen. 

The restaurant will move into a 4,000-square-foot-space directly across from Scott Crawford’s new steakhouse concept. Ford Fry and Steve Palmer are also a part of the restaurant cohort debuting in the expansive mixed-use Cary development. 

“Fenton’s leasing team made a promise to recruit the best of the best in chef talent locally and from across the Southeast, and they continue to deliver,” Scott Crawford said in a press release. “I respect Mike tremendously for his culinary skills and track record of success as a restaurant owner, and I look forward to operating as his neighbor at Fenton in the coming years.”

To be sure, although this expansion is significant news for sushi lovers in Cary, it represents just the beginning of Lee’s expansion ambitions. He plans to open several more concepts in the Triangle and, from there, to expand globally into a 100 percent nonprofit franchise. 

“Before I die, I want to see it bigger than McDonald’s,” Lee told the INDY last summer, “producing billions of dollars a year and helping wherever is needed.”

Contact deputy arts and culture editor Sarah Edwards at [email protected].

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Sarah Edwards is culture editor of the INDY, covering cultural institutions and the arts in the Triangle. She joined the staff in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2020.