By Sara Beth Williams–
Amid the demolition of the iconic Marie Callender’s building across the parking lot, a new Korean BBQ and Sushi restaurant is preparing to open its doors within the next few months.
Active construction could be seen on the inside of the Korean BBQ restaurant on Sunrise Boulevard early this week. One of the owners, Jason Duan, told The Sentinel he anticipates the restaurant will be open for business sometime in October or November.
The new restaurant, called Must Be Cow, will offer Korean barbeque and sushi, Duan said. The restaurant will include over 40 tables equipped with grilling stations, a sushi bar, and a bar that will serve beer and wine, according to previous reports.
Duan said he landed on opening a restaurant in Citrus Heights after he had been searching for a place in Sacramento County and felt like the area was “missing some Asian food.”
Signage for the restaurant can be seen on the front facade of the building in two different locations, with a circular logo sporting a cow holding sushi with a pair of chopsticks and the restaurant name, “Must Be Cow, Korean BBQ & Sushi” affixed to the center of the building. Lettering of the restaurant’s name was also installed on the southern side of the front of the building.
Duan is also a partner in Bay Area-based Japanese fusion restaurant chain Sizzling Lunch.
Plans were initially submitted to the city in 2024 and were undergoing revisions with the Building Division, Citrus Heights city spokesperson Marisa Brown said in January.
The restaurant was once the location of the Peppermill Restaurant and Lounge, a Logan’s Roadhouse, before becoming Boston’s Pizza. A proposal to demolish and then remodel the former Marie Callender’s Restaurant and Bakery located next door on Sunrise Boulevard is also under review.
