Newton Community Development Specialist Craig Armstrong says a new family-owned restaurant will be coming to Newton. Hoshi Japanese Cuisine Express will be located in the vacant building that was formerly home to Pizza Hut, at 1137 First Avenue East. Pizza Hut closed that restaurant in September of 2020.

Armstrong has been working with the owner of the building, and recently received word the new tenant had signed the lease.

“It is something we don’t have. It’s not pizza and it’s not Mexican food and not something we have plenty of. But I do think it is something that will go exceptionally well here.”

Armstrong says Hoshi Japanese Cuisine Express will be opening sometime around February or March of 2025. He adds this will be restaurant owner Julie Bahtiar’s 4th and newest restaurant in Iowa. The others are located in Burlington, Indianola, and Keokuk. They also have four other locations in Missouri and Arkansas.