Sumi Thu knows San Antonio’s Wild Goji Revolving Sushi & Bar inside and out.
She started off an employee at Wild Goji during the COVID-19 pandemic and worked in positions ranging from curbside pickup to bartending before being offered a chance to become part owner.
Husband-wife duo Stephanie Sun and Nick Zheng debuted the restaurant in 2016 as Wild Goji, and it became known for its sushi and Japanese entrees.
The space eventually underwent a major renovation and reopened in 2024 with a conveyor belt that delivers freshly made sushi to guests. Automated sushi bars have been popular in Japan for years and are gaining popularity stateside.
The same ownership group also runs the Alamo City’s Wild Japanese BBQ & Sushi & Shabu, an all-you-can-eat spot specializing in Japanese-style grilled meats and hotpot cooking.
We spoke to Thu about how she got started in San Antonio’s restaurant business, why it made sense to learn it from the ground up before jumping into ownership and why local diners seem to love conveyor belt sushi.
How did you get involved with Wild Goji and Wild Japanese BBQ & Sushi & Shabu?
I used to work for the owner at Wild Goji, doing various jobs. I really enjoyed creating new cocktails at the bar — and still do — but I also did other jobs like curbside pickup during the COVID-19 pandemic. I ended up doing more bar work when they reopened after the pandemic.
What was your first restaurant job in San Antonio?
I’m Indonesian. I moved to San Antonio when I was 18. My first job was working as a cashier at a buffet here. Buffets were super popular in San Antonio then. I worked there for about eight to 10 years before I ended up at Wild Goji.
What has it been like at Wild Goji since the renovations?
It’s more like a family restaurant now with the conveyor belt. People come in now just to see sushi arrive on the robot train! They get so excited. It makes me so happy to witness it as someone who’s been here for years.
What’s something you wish more people knew about Wild Goji?
I think sometimes people assume they can only order sushi from the conveyor belt. But you can order rolls and entrees à la carte too! There’s more options than guests realize.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned as a part-owner?
There’s so much competition now. But we can still say that Wild Japanese, Wild Goji’s sister restaurant, was the first Japanese barbecue outpost in San Antonio — and it’s locally owned. We still try to keep the same quality and low prices as much as we can at both restaurants.
What’s your advice for someone who wants to make it in the industry?
You really have to be passionate about it. It’s challenging, there’s no doubt about that, but I love it. I love eating and cooking. I don’t have time to cook anymore because I’m running a lot of the restaurant right now, which involves consistency, staffing costs and balancing costs. I would suggest working in restaurants too before trying to switch to ownership. It really helped me understand the way operations worked. I wouldn’t have had that knowledge if I didn’t work at Wild Goji in other roles first.
What’s another San Antonio restaurant you love that you feel is underrated?
Shiro’s sister restaurant Yozora! I love going there. The Japanese food is stellar.
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