Lexington’s oldest sushi-only restaurant has closed. Owner explains why, what’s next.
Lexington’s first sushi-only restaurant has closed after 20 years.
Tomo on High Street in Chevy Chase, which opened in 2001, officially closed this week. Owner Cha Tamura broke the bad news to her restaurant’s fans in a Facebook post, saying “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
She thanked customers and community built over the last two decades for the lasting friendships.
Tomo was one of the original tenants of the High Street shopping center. Tamura said Thursday that the restaurant actually began with her now ex-husband on Woodhill as Sushi Zen.
Cha Tamura said she used to love the old Cosmo’s deli on Ashland and High, where Starbucks is today, and approached the building’s owner about space in the new building.
“Then I opened there, and a lot of people followed us,” Tamura said. “At the time, there were only four Japanese sushi places in Lexington. All with hibachi. I was the first one without hibachi. ... Some people doubted us but it was good.”
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She said the staff, of a wide range of nationalities, worked together well to delivery high quality sushi that drew regular customers.
“It was an absolutely wonderful time,” she said. She said when she saw her customers posting their goodbyes on Facebook, “I was a little mellow about it.”
What’s going in the old Tomo spot?
Tamura said that despite the COVID pandemic, Tomo had done well over the last year but the lease on the spot was up and there were several restaurants who wanted the spot.
She said she is “too young to retire” but isn’t quite sure what she will do next.
“The restaurant did exactly what I need it to do: Provide for my children. It was a tool for a part of my life. I’m now at another stage. My children are married. I want to enjoy my grandchildren,” she said. “I’m very happy to give it someone who wanted it.”
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Tamura said Thursday that she has sold the restaurant to new tenants who plan to remodel it and reopen it later this year as a new dining spot.
The good news: They plan to serve sushi.
