No country does convenience stores quite like Japan, where they’re known as konbini and deal in delicacies such as onigiri (rice balls), bento boxes, sandoitchi and more.

Among their legion of fans is the team behind Richmond Japanese diner FutureFuture.

“They’re temples of efficiency – all about affordability, quality and speed,” director Stefanie Breschi tells Good Food, announcing plans to open a sleek konbini-inspired venue – part convenience store, part casual eatery – in Cremorne this summer.

Called Suupaa (“supermarket” in Japanese), it’ll take up residence on the ground floor of a new development at 65 Dover Street, which will also house Baker Bleu’s new location. “Creating a sense of community was ... part of the appeal of this building,” says Breschi.

Future Future head chef Atsushi Kawakami will lead the kitchen at Suupaa, alongside young gun Dennis Yong, who made a splash at now-closedlow-waste wine bar Parcs (best known for its umami e pepe noodles) and who operates fermentation-forward business Furrmien.

Entering the space – its palette all deep blues and reds, and lustrous stainless steel – you’ll go left to dine in or right to take away, from a loaded grab-and-go konbini section.

The bento style will lean towards ekiben, the colourful boxed meals sold on trains and at train stations in Japan. Onigiri won’t be wholly bound by tradition, however; Yong will riff on popular Spam versions by subbing in mortadella and a layer of fluffy egg.

That playfulness extends to the dine-in menu, reserved for items that don’t travel as well. The panko-crumbed pork-loin tonkatsu will come with a Vegemite-spiked Bulldog sauce, and there’ll be a strong focus on noodles, including a Japanese-leaning udon bolognese, made with a dashi stock base and a rich katsuobushi and parmesan cream.

Curating the signature drinks is someone with a serious knack for it: Max Allison, co-owner of Good Measure and co-creator of its famous Mont Blanc.

Breschi is excited about a matcha-Milo mashup drink and a banana-infused cold brew. And for an extra layer of convenience, the Code Black filter coffee will be self-serve.

Suupaa is slated to open in January 2025 at 65 Dover Street, Cremorne.