FEED YOUR LOVE OF
EXCEPTIONAL FOOD

Fine dining meets fresh ideas at Next Door. Join us in our relaxed, sophisticated
space for handcrafted sushi and seasonal dishes designed to delight.

Fine Dining in Rochester, NY

As a center of culinary excellence, our skilled chefs prepare a menu using only sustainably sourced sushi selected with the highest standards in mind. Mix that with decades of experience and culinary influences from around the world and you’re sure to discover a restaurant like no other.

Kazuya Matsuoka

Executive Chef

Matsu started his culinary career in Japan learning the intricacies of French cuisine. After understanding the concepts of some of the more prevalent cuisines of the world, he made the move to Los Angeles and worked for Chaya Brasserie, a pioneer of Californian cuisine based on contemporary French and Japanese. Matsu’s experience at one of the first fine dining sushi restaurants in United States led him to Miku, where his passion for cooking finally found a fit. He moved to Vancouver in 2011 to re-energize the team and to assist in opening eight fine dining restaurants in Canada.

Matsu’s latest project, Aburi Hana restaurant, became the first Canadian Michelin-star restaurant in 2022. As corporate executive chef, Matsu always challenged himself to create new dishes that strike a balance between Japanese traditional and contemporary French cuisine. In 2017, he took on the role of chief operating officer of Aburi Restaurants, overseeing both current restaurant operations, as well as managing restaurant openings and launched multiple concepts as restaurant producer.

Matsu loves working with the restaurant team and says that, after 27 years of being in the restaurant industry, he finally has a place to belong.

Mauricio Valdivia

Specialty Restaurants Operations Manager

From a young age, Mauricio has had a passion for food. Growing up in South America, his family ran a restaurant out of his childhood home. “I remember grinding llajwa with a mortar and pestle as a kid,” he reminisces. As an adult, Mauricio gained expertise in the hospitality industry working at “Five Diamond” and world-famous resorts in Florida. He then came to Rochester, NY to work at Wegmans Next Door, bringing with him a fresh palette and an extensive knowledge of global flavors.

As the Specialty Restaurants Operations Manager, Mauricio oversees both Next Door and The Lounge, leading a team of eight chefs and hospitality professionals to create a sophisticated fine dining restaurant and bar. Here, guests enjoy the highest quality seasonal ingredients made into delicious Japanese, European, and American fusion cuisine, along with signature cocktails made exclusively for The Lounge.

“Our front-of-the-house team is dedicated to giving guests personalized service by sharing their knowledge of our food and culture,” says Mauricio. “My goal for Next Door and The Lounge is to give our guests the most memorable experience and have them looking forward to their next visit with us.”

Jared Smith

General Manager

Jared realized his passion for hospitality and leadership early on in life, and fondly recalls his appreciation for presentation and the enjoyment of fine food. Growing up in a multi-cultural family in Western New York provided plenty of opportunities for large gatherings with varied cuisine.

Jared is an eclectic and widely experienced hospitality manager. He finds ways to use his creativity to grow the business, create memorable experiences for guests, build amazing teams, and innovate systems within the business. As the General Manager of Next Door by Wegmans, he demonstrates his commitment to delivering an unmatched cuisine experience and leading a winning team, held to the highest standards.

Jeremy Reinhart

Head Chef

Chef Jeremy has been working in kitchens since the age of 16, learning the ins and outs of cooking techniques, meal preparation, and food pairings. Over the years, he has spent time experimenting with new ingredients and flavors to create a wide variety of seasonal dishes.

“My passion for cooking comes from watching a dish or menu come together, and then sharing that with other people,” says Jeremy. “When I introduce a dish to guests, I like to share not only what is in it, but also why I’ve chosen to include certain ingredients. This helps guests gain a higher level of appreciation for the meal in front of them.”

Jeremy focuses on elevating the menu at Next Door by creating new and innovative recipes while maintaining the highest quality of cooking for which the restaurant is known. He has also guided dozens of Wegmans store chefs through training to bring the same refined cooking methods and techniques used at Next Door to our stores.