Craft Sushi to open restaurant at Ozarks Tech student union

Craft Sushi is adding a restaurant on the campus of Ozarks Technical Community College.

The customizable sushi roll and poke bowl restaurant concept announced in a Facebook post yesterday that its third location would open in 2026. The post included photos of Ozarks Tech's Michael L. Parson Student Union that's under construction at the Springfield campus northwest of the Chestnut Expressway and National Avenue intersection. 

Jayme Rutledge, director of communications for Ozarks Tech, said Craft Sushi would be one of four vendors at the Parson Student Union, or The U for short.

"We will have four vendors in The U, including Craft Sushi, Hardee's, Little Caesars and Starbucks," Rutledge said via email. "Currently, students can purchase prepackaged Craft Sushi options at our campus restaurant, Cafe 101, which will close when The U opens."

Rutledge said a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Parson Student Union is currently scheduled for Aug. 12, 2026, and that the restaurants inside it would open no later than the first date of fall semester classes on Aug. 24, 2026.

Michael Cho, co-owner of Craft Sushi, was unavailable for comment by deadline.

Craft Sushi opened its second restaurant in 2022 at 1282 E. Republic Road, following its first eatery that debuted in 2018 at 1251 E. Sunshine St., Ste. 116, in a retail and office center across from Mercy Hospital Springfield, according to past reporting. 

Ozarks Tech broke ground on the Parson Student Union, named in honor of former Gov. Mike Parson, in September 2024. The fiscal 2025 state budget signed last summer by Parson included $46 million for construction of the center.