A new eatery, Retroll Sushi, is coming to Retro Row before the end of the year.

The take-out-focused restaurant will open right next to The Art Theater in the spot currently occupied by The HipPea.

HipPea owner Vered Azari opened her restaurant seven and a half years ago, serving crispy falafel and other Middle Eastern delicacies like house-made hummus.

“It was a joy to be part of the Long Beach business community and I’m proud to call Long Beach my home,” Azari said in a statement. On her Instagram post announcing the closure, she said “I fell in love again. This time with a guy on a plane. After spending years in this long-distance relationship, I have decided to follow my heart once again.”

HipPea’s final day will be just before the end of the month.

Retroll Sushi owner John Kim hopes his new business will become part of the evening experience on Fourth Street: Grab some sushi from Retroll, catch a movie at the neighboring theater and afterward, grab a glass of wine at Art du Vine, which bookends the other side of the theater.

Kim spent his childhood in Long Beach before his family moved to other parts of California, but it has always remained a special city for him.

“It was the first place that we lived at when we immigrated here from Korea,” Kim said. “My parents had a liquor store over on Seventh Street and it’s still there to this day. We rented the house right next to that liquor store.”

For the past few years, Kim has been working in sushi retail, owning and operating sushi kiosks in grocery stores. but Retroll will be his first brick-and-mortar. He is also a student at the Sushi Chef Institute in Torrance.

While Kim’s focus for Retroll is on the convenience of take-out sushi, there will be some seating available for dine-in guests, just like there was at HipPea.

Kim’s experience in sushi retail also allows him to create a menu that is priced competitively—slightly higher than grocery store kiosks, but at a more accessible price point than sushi restaurants.

“I’m really focusing on making fresh, really good sushi,” Kim said.

Retroll Sushi will serve well-known favorites like California rolls and spicy tuna rolls, as well as a few specialty rolls. The small eatery is named for its location on Retro Row.

“I just feel like it’s a very special community there, so I’m just excited to serve there,” Kim said.

Kim hopes to open up on Nov. 1, pending final permits from the city.

Retroll Sushi will be located at 2023 E. Fourth Street.