Sushi

Drugstore Sushi Isn’t Going to Drive the Tourists (or the Locals) Wild

The Globe echoes the sentiment we expressed last week, when news broke that Walgreens would serve sushi in Downtown Crossing. In a word: Blech! And, moreover, why? There are many places to obtain sushi downtown, and Walgreens really doesn’t need to be one of them. Moreover, this Walgreens will occupy prime real estate (the old Borders bookstore space), so they should get creative. Doesn’t the location warrant something better, more innovative, more glamorous than so-so sushi? (Please forgive us for assuming that O Ya chefs probably aren’t slicing and dicing next to the Bic razors.)

“This historic location, in the heart of Boston’s once-thriving retail mecca, deserves a more distinctive tenant. To its credit, Walgreens has promised to build “something unique and different’’ by designing the store as a “European boutique’’ featuring amenities like a sushi bar and a hair and nail salon. When compared to some of the drab drugstores around town, it’s certainly a step up. But it’s a stretch to claim it will provide anything novel,” the paper opines.

We agree. The Globe suggests a reincarnation of the grand department stores that flourished in days of old. Wouldn’t it be amazing if Filene’s or Jordan Marsh returned to Times Square Lite, complete with a restaurant within? We can dream. And, in the meantime, we’ll probably pick up our sushi elsewhere.

Nothing Against Walgreens But Downtown Can Do Better [Globe]

Related: Condoms With a Side of Wasabi, Please?
Downtown Crossing: Like Times Square, Only Different?

Drugstore Sushi Isn’t Going to Drive the Tourists (or the Locals) Wild