Celebrating small business: Sushi is back at DiMino's Tops Lewiston

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

Fresh sushi is back at DiMino’s Lewiston Tops following a short interruption due to a vendor switch. About 18 different items are made daily at the Center Street supermarket, each one available in a grab-and-go case.

“The first full day, we had probably one of our better sales days,” Assistant Store Manager Tom Casero said. “People have been waiting for it; so, it's doing really good.”

Chef Nang Muang prepares sushi throughout the day in a kiosk between the deli and bakery sections. He is an independent contractor with FujiSan.

Casero noted, “They do have different items,” than the previous seafood supplier. “These (chicken bao) are something we didn't have before. They have different combinations that they're making.”

A placard above Muang’s work station notes sushi station hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and includes a QR code linking to a menu on the FujiSan website.

In addition to the regular roster of sushi items, Muang said he can accommodate larger orders. He encouraged customers to visit and place their special requests a few days in advance. Muang also suggested grab-and-go patrons come early, so as to find the best variety of items.

Chef Nang Muang prepares fresh sushi daily at DiMino’s Lewiston Tops, 906 Center St., Lewiston.

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DiMino’s Lewiston Tops debuted its fresh sushi offerings in July 2023. At that time, store owner Anthony DiMino explained, “We think it's going to be a more convenient lunch item; and having it literally fresh every day, I think it's going to be a big deal based on what we think the demographics are.”

Customers, “They come in, they take it out, and you start from scratch every day.”

Casero said, “We're one of the better stores. We're probably the best store, or second-best store, in the chain, with the sushi. We're doing really well.”

He explained having fresh sushi is “huge” because, “if you look on other social medias, (when) everyone's talking about when there's an empty business in Lewiston, people say, ‘Oh, we should have a sushi bar’ – but you really don't. You really can't sit down and eat here but, if you want fresh sushi, this is made fresh every day. If you're a sushi person, it's not like our old sushi program we had with our seafood department. It was frozen.”

“This is fresh made every day,” Casero stressed.