THE WIRE

Umami Buffet Permit Advances Roseville, CA’s Former Claim Jumper Conversion

The long-vacant Harding Boulevard restaurant has a named buffet concept and reported construction progress.

October 6, 2026 • California • BY BUFFET AUTHORITY

Roseville’s former Claim Jumper is moving closer to another restaurant life, this time as Umami Buffet. The city has issued a conversion permit for the planned Asian buffet at 250 Harding Boulevard, and work is underway, according to Sacramento Business Journal’s October 5 report.

The fresh news is the permit milestone and the Umami name. A buffet plan for the property had surfaced earlier in the year, so this is progress on an existing proposal rather than the first suggestion that the old steakhouse could become an AYCE destination.

In January reporting, the project was described as a Chinese buffet with a hibachi bar, with an owner’s target of opening by the end of 2026. That earlier target should be kept in its proper place: the latest accessible reporting does not establish a firm opening day or newly confirm the year-end schedule.

The building has been waiting for a replacement since Claim Jumper’s departure. The Sacramento Bee confirmed its permanent closure in January 2023, following closure reports late in December 2022. The restaurant was the chain’s last Sacramento-area location at the time.

The property later changed hands. Sacramento Business Journal reported in November 2025 that the former restaurant sold at auction for $2.2 million. Its latest coverage identifies Black Rock CA Investment LLC as the buyer. Property ownership, however, does not by itself establish who will operate Umami Buffet.

For local buffet fans, the appeal is an existing restaurant building returning to dining use with a new format. The steakhouse-to-buffet conversion is concrete enough to watch, but the practical eating details still lie ahead: no verified adult price, complete menu or opening-day service schedule was available.

A permit is a meaningful step toward putting the room back to work. It is also early to plan a first plate. Until the operator supplies an opening date and a menu, Umami belongs on Roseville’s coming-soon list, with the former Claim Jumper address as its clearest landmark.

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