Coming this June to Frederick...

After almost seven years, through the pandemic, through expanding our original Ellicott City location multiple times, and after hearing so many requests from all of you...

We finally decided to listen. (drumroll please!)

We are FINALLY opening a second location!!

UMI Frederick is aiming for a soft opening in June, and we have so, so many plans to make this place truly special. We have been keeping things pretty low-key while working behind the scenes, and although an incorrect date was accidentally posted on Google, we want to make it clear that no official opening date has been announced yet. This is because we're still waiting for the City's final health department inspection, and they have not given us a confirmed date yet. This process can take a few weeks, and it's outside of our control, but we're hoping we can open in June due to the demand (and rent that has already been paid!)

Although the OG restaurant in Ellicott City will always be our first baby, this second location fulfills a dream we have had for years: bringing UMI to another city after so many requests from our amazing customers all over Maryland and the East Coast. This moment means so much to our family and our community.

Not many people know the story of UMI; Our family has always been pretty private about their journey. My parents, Frank (aka King) and Julie, went through years of hard work, endless sacrifices, and continuous uncertainty to build what UMI is today.

UMI quietly opened on Historic Ellicott City's Main Street in the summer of 2019, shortly after the second devastating flood that destroyed many storefronts and businesses. The space that is now UMI was previously Johnny's Bistro, one of many businesses that sadly did not recover. After two major floods in less than two years, many people were afraid to return to Main Street, and many business owners understandably did not want to take the risk again. But my parents have always been people who embrace challenges. At the end of the day, they believed all they needed was to stay true to their values: work harder than what was expected, stay genuine, and serve quality food that everyone could enjoy. They never believed in relying on luck alone. They believe that luck will always come after hard work.

My parents also came from very humble beginnings in Fujian, China, growing up during a time of poverty and major economic change. They immigrated to the U.S. in the early 90s when they were barely adults. My dad was 18, and my mom, 20. When my dad proposed to my mom, she told him there was only one thing that would determine the strength of their marriage: no matter how difficult life became, they would always work hard together and always support each other's dreams. Ever since then, history has been made.

Their dedication is reflected in everything they do, and to me, UMI represents not only how much their hard work paid off but also how much love, support, and recognition they received from the community along the way. They say, "It takes a village", and we are all a part of this thriving village! As we get ready to begin this new chapter in Frederick, we want to again, sincerely thank everyone for supporting us throughout this journey. We cannot wait to share all our new ideas with you and continue dedicating ourselves to the communities that have supported us for so many years.

More updates will be coming soon... So far, this new space will have an expanded sushi bar, omakase kaiseki seating (yes, we will be introducing that soon!), a large enclosed patio alongside additional seating near the waterfront, live music, and more to come! In the meantime, here are a few sneak peeks while we wait for final updates from the City :) We can't wait to join Frederick!

Another mural that Coco has been working on!