According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy’s survey in 2025 there are over 36.2 million small businesses within the United States comprising of more than 40 percent of the national workforce, effectively acting as the backbone of the U.S. economy. Due to recent economic post pandemic consumer shifts, millions of small businesses have struggled to adapt to these economic changes and been forced to shut down their doors. This past week however, I had the opportunity to speak with the owner of a small business that has stood the test of time and has established themselves as one of the premier casual dining restaurants right here in Grand Forks.
Fuji Japanese Seafood and Steakhouse, located on 715 South Washington Street, focuses on providing an authentic dining experience curated around Japanese American cuisine. Becoming known for their high-quality ingredients and fresh seafood, offered at a competitive price point, making it a popular dinner option for university students and community members alike. Following my conversation with the restaurant owner, my greatest takeaway was her distinct commitment towards service and quality control.
As she went on to state part of what makes the dining experience so special is the fact that “our staff is largely comprised of UND students who bring a unique energy and fit right into our tight knit family-oriented culture as our top priority is maintaining an exemplary level of service for our customers”. This is a particularly compelling point because it only highlights the role that small business’s play in stimulating the local economy and right here in Grand Forks offering real world experience in the workforce as students learn to balance a part time job on top of school. Outside of service, within the restaurant sector of the economy it is equally important for customers to enjoy the food that they are eating as well because that is more than half of the battle regarding maintaining a regular customer base.
Following my conversation with management, I also had the opportunity to speak with Jasmine Monley, a long time Grand Forks resident and Fuji regular, about her dining experience and why she likes going there. Monley stated that it has become one her favorite restaurants to go to with her family growing up and that “every year I look forward to coming here for my birthday as the hibachi experience is incredible” and that it has been customary that her favorite ice cream tempura birthday desert is accompanied with her meal free of charge.
Overall, I had a great experience speaking with both staff and customers at Fuji this past week, and it has highlighted just how important local small businesses are for both the Grand Forks community and the nation. I strongly encourage you if you have not yet had the chance to go ahead and visit Fuji Japanese Seafood and Steakhouse next time that you or your friends are craving authentic Japanese cuisine and be sure to embrace the attention to detail that goes into keeping small businesses and restaurants like Fuji open year-round.
Daniel Silva is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
