Headline: Mikado Eyes a Small Bar on Marlton Pike — A Local Boost for Cherry Hill’s Route 70 Dining Strip
By Ari Williams — 295Times
If you drive along Marlton Pike (Route 70) through Cherry Hill, you’ve probably seen Mikado Japanese Restaurant — a longtime Route 70 diner-alternative where sushi, hibachi and family meals feed residents, shoppers and the steady stream of drivers coming off I‑295. Now the business is looking to tweak its footprint: a modest addition to support a 10-seat bar, according to recent local reporting and the restaurant’s application filings.
Why this matters for readers in Cherry Hill and anyone using I‑295’s Route 70 corridor: small changes like a 10-seat bar are both a sign and a lever of local development. They affect evening activity, parking demand, competition for liquor licenses, and the character of the Marlton Pike strip — all things that matter to neighbors, commuters, and nearby businesses.
What’s being proposed
Mikado is asking Cherry Hill officials for permission to build a small extension off the back of the existing dining room to accommodate a 10-seat bar. The expansion is modest in scale but will enable the restaurant to serve a full complement of mixed drinks alongside the beer and wine service many customers already expect with dinner and takeout.
The idea isn’t a massive redevelopment — it’s a micro-investment that could shift when and how people use the space. For a restaurant on Route 70, adding bar seating can push more evening and weekend traffic later into the night, attracting small groups, date nights, and customers looking for a sit-down cocktail with their sushi.
Where Mikado sits in the local map
Mikado occupies a stretch of Marlton Pike that functions as Cherry Hill’s main east‑west retail and dining artery. Google Maps places the restaurant along Route 70 between larger retail nodes and residential pockets that rely on this corridor for shopping and dining. The Route 70/Marlton Pike corridor is convenient for drivers using nearby exits off I‑295, meaning any change at a restaurant here has ripple effects for commuters stopping for dinner, families running errands, and after-work crowds.
Community sentiment and brand background
Mikado is known locally as a neighborhood Japanese spot — sushi, hibachi‑style entrees, combos for families, and carryout orders that have sustained many restaurants during fluctuating foot traffic. Community reviews on Yelp and similar platforms generally praise the food and service, and note that the restaurant already offers beer and wine with meals. Turning that existing beverage service into a full bar is a logical next step for an established eatery looking to capture more late‑day business without changing its core menu or identity.
Neighbors and patrons typically look at three things with an addition like this: noise, parking, and hours. Those are the items Cherry Hill’s planning and licensing officials will weigh, along with any state requirements around alcohol service. Local news outlets such as NJ.com and Patch have covered similar liquor-license and expansion stories across Camden County, and they frequently note that town boards balance neighborhood impacts with support for local businesses trying to grow.
How this ties to Marlton Pike and broader trends
Marlton Pike has been an active corridor for redevelopment, tenant replacements, and businesses adapting to changing consumer habits. Small-scale reinvestments — like adding a bar, renovating a storefront, or converting retail to mixed dining concepts — are common as property owners and restaurateurs nudge older strip development toward a more service-oriented, evening-friendly mix.
For travelers and commuters using I‑295, that matters. Route 70 remains a convenient cross‑town route and an access point for people coming off the interstate. If more restaurants on Marlton Pike add evening draws — bars, outdoor seating, live music nights — Route 70 becomes not just a place to pass through, but a destination for dining and socializing. That can be good for local sales tax and employment, but it can also heighten congestion and parking pressure in tightly parceled shopping centers.
What to watch next
– Cherry Hill approvals: The restaurant’s proposal will go through Cherry Hill’s municipal review — possibly the zoning or planning board — where neighbors can comment. Watch the township’s calendar for hearings if you want to weigh in.
– Liquor licensing: A bar addition may require amendments to the restaurant’s liquor license or notification to state Alcoholic Beverage Control; that’s often part of the process covered by local journalists and township clerks.
– Neighbor feedback: Keep an eye on local community forums and review sites (Yelp, Facebook groups) for early customer and resident reactions. They often reveal whether a change is welcomed or raises concerns about parking and late‑night activity.
Bottom line for Exit 295 readers
This isn’t a downtown‑scale build or a new chain displacing local shops — it’s a modest, incremental change that reflects how restaurants along Marlton Pike are adapting to shifting dining habits. For commuters and residents near the Route 70 corridor, Mikado’s proposed bar is worth a glance: it could mean a livelier evening scene and more options for after-work dining close to I‑295, while also bringing the usual questions about parking, hours, and neighborhood impact.
If you travel Exit 295 into Cherry Hill often, consider stopping by Mikado (or the township’s public hearings) to see how the plan develops. Small projects like this add up; they’re part of how Marlton Pike evolves, one storefront at a time.
Sources and where to follow updates
– Local reporting on the application and image provided by 42Freeway.
– Location context via Google Maps (search: Mikado Japanese Restaurant, Route 70, Cherry Hill).
– Community reviews and sentiment commonly found on Yelp and other review platforms.
– Background on local permitting and liquor licensing: Cherry Hill Township public notices, NJ.com, Patch coverage on similar municipal approvals.
If you want, I can watch the township meeting calendar and post an update when the proposal appears on an agenda or when an official decision is made.
