What are they thinking?: Sushi Uo edition

Some pretty weird press releases pop into our inboxes from time to time, but one from today absolutely takes the cake. In an effort to promote its new sexed-up vibe, Lower East Side sushi spot Uo has been sending scantily clad women around the neighborhood. This, of course, begs the question — why does a sushi restaurant need to be sexed up??? We'd say a restaurant should focus more on offering fresh, delicious food and less on arousing its clientele.

We're thinking this may be a last-ditch effort to save the place, and a strange one at that. Here's a piece of the release:

Two weekends ago residents of the LES were gawking as three young beauties clad in latex and posing with a giant red snapper and six-foot long octopus tentacles took over the neighborhood. Wanting to incorporate the local streets into the seductive photos that would end up on the walls of Uo, it is all a part of Fran Marchese's restyling of the restaurant to be more in keeping with the attitude of the neighborhood.

Last weekend, Lower East Siders observed the spectacle of eight black clad women tied with brightly colored rope into various positions along Rivington Street. This guerilla take on Shibari, the Japanese art of erotic rope bondage, was sponsored by Uo to announce the introduction of their Shibari Bomb Sake Cocktails.

Breaking away from the clutches of diva sushi chefs, owner Frannie Marchese has taken back control of her restaurant and revamped it to be the top tier Lower East Side restaurant that she originally envisioned: a sexy, edgy, yet friendly local sushi house that serves the best quality fish available.

Umm... reallly??!!