The interior of Maki Yaki looks like something out of Lost in Translation rather than the typical Japanese restaurants in State College.

The walls covered in red and yellow paint, the white furniture, and the Nintendo Wii next to the cash register give the feeling that a downtown-Tokyo sushi bar has mysteriously materialized next to D.P. Dough.

Hojoon Jeon, part owner of Maki Yaki, 407 E. Beaver Ave., which opened Oct. 10, said the interior was designed to set it apart from the other more traditional Japanese restaurants in the area.

"Americans know about the tradition of the food, but our interior is kind of unique," Jeon said. "We have wi-fi and a TV, so students can watch football games."

Part owner Dave Kim said he created an atmosphere he likened to a fast food restaurant with quality cuisine, a style he calls "grab and go."

"We provide less expensive, but quality food," Kim said. "We reduce the price, but give them fresh sushi at the same time."

Kim said his restaurant receives a shipment of fresh fish from New York and Virginia twice a week and employees make sushi daily to ensure the food stays fresh.

The sushi is prepared at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.

In Philadelphia, Kim worked in a Japanese restaurant and managed making the sushi for four Super Fresh supermarkets.

Kim said he learned cased sushi can last only for six hours until it is no longer considered fresh.

Jeon said he became interested in owning a restaurant during his junior year at Penn State and learned how to make sushi at Ace Sushi in Philadelphia, a company that delivers sushi to major supermarkets in the Philadelphia area.

Maki Yaki also serves French fries in an effort to be friendlier to American appetites.

"It would give more chances to eat a variety of things," Kim said.

Kim said his goal was for college students on a Big Ten campus to experience Japanese and Korean cuisine as if they were in a large city.

"People here can have an experience with sushi," Kim said. "There is a big population here, so there is a lot of opportunity."

Kim said business has been improving since the store opened Oct. 10.

"It's slowly getting better," Kim said. "We didn't advertise it, but people know it now. We have good results, especially from female students."

Jeon said he used his skills he learned as a marketing major to create a pleasing restaurant targeted to a certain customer demographic: 18- to-24- year-old women.

"Ladies like these kinds of restaurants, and then they bring the guys," Jeon said.

Even so, Kim said Maki Yaki's specialty is its teriyaki chicken with a sauce recipe Kim said he learned while he was a cook in Seattle, a recipe he said will be a favorite for Maki Yaki's male customers.

"Teriyaki is very popular in Seattle," Kim said. "We have a regular sauce and a spicy sauce. People love it."

Kim added he makes the sauce every weekend.

Kim said Maki Yaki has been having its best business days during home football weekends.

"During the Michigan game, it was crazy," Kim said.

Kim said Maki Yaki plans to add hot teas in the near future and is thinking of adding delivery service next semester.