Chew on This: The Taco Depot opens third location

The Taco Depot opens a third location with a soft opening on Monday, Oct. 18, according to a manager at one of the restaurant’s other two locations.

The small local Mexican restaurant chain’s third location is at 35 Miller Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids, just south of Highway 30 off Kirkwood Boulevard SW. The building was formerly a Hardee’s.

The Taco Depot posted on social media last week that the new location passed health inspections and received approval for its liquor license.

The Taco Depot’s first two locations were at 2665 Edgewood Parkway SW and 3801 First Ave. SE. A drive-thru is set up at the third location, making it the second Taco Depot with a drive-thru.

New sushi restaurant headed to Cedar Rapids

A sushi restaurant brand with three locations in North Dakota is opening its fourth location in downtown Cedar Rapids — its first venture into Iowa.

Signs for Izumi Sushi & Hibachi have gone up at 221 Second Ave. SE, the former location of Wasabi.

Izumi has two locations in Fargo and one location in Jamestown, North Dakota. No opening date has been announced, and a representative could not be reached for comment on an upcoming opening.

The menu for its other restaurants includes hibachi and tempura as well as special sushi and sashimi rolls. Two locations list an “all you can eat” option.

It’s unclear when Wasabi, which first opened six years ago, closed — its social media page never documented an official closure. The last posts indicating activity were over a year ago.

Craft’d opens in downtown Cedar Rapids

A new coffee shop, Craft’d, opened in downtown Cedar Rapids on Aug. 30.

The location, 333 First St. SE, was formerly home to The Early Bird, which closed on March 6, 2020, after eight years in business.

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