Ryusei Ramen and Izakaya is set to open its doors at 611 Highgrove Place, located along Perryville Road just south of East State Street. This establishment, owned by Scott Souvannasane, a Rockford native, marks his debut solo venture in the restaurant industry, following years of experience working with his family. The restaurant’s specialty will be crafting ramen and Korean fried chicken entirely from scratch in-house.

Originally, Souvannasane had intended to launch his restaurant at the former KFC and Long John Silver’s site situated at 5949 E. State St., in close proximity to U-Haul. However, these plans encountered setbacks after months of property-related efforts. As a result, he has secured a lease for the 2,600-square-foot premises previously occupied by Five Guys and now aims to open his establishment before the end of October.

Souvannasane’s culinary journey is rooted in his family’s legacy, with his parents establishing a Charley’s Cheesesteaks franchise at CherryVale Mall back in 1999, followed by a second location on Walton Drive in 2009. He has accumulated years of experience working at both of these restaurants, in addition to his prior role as a cook at Kuma’s Restaurant in downtown Rockford.

At Ryusei Ramen and Izakaya, the dining experience will be designed around a self-service model, where patrons place their orders at the front counter and retrieve their trays when their order number is called. Furthermore, for the convenience of online orders, there will be a dedicated pickup window to facilitate a seamless drive-through experience.

Souvannasane, a chef, cook, and passionate food enthusiast, is committed to enhancing Rockford’s ramen scene as the cornerstone of his culinary business.