Soichi Sushi Sets the Stage for Reopening

Soichi Sushi will resume takeout service on Tuesday, May 12. The Adams Avenue sushi bar, which has amassed a dedicated fanbase in its first year of operation, closed in late April after staying open for to-go orders throughout the shutdown. The temporary shutter allowed chef/owner Soichi Kadoya and his wife Raechel to get a jump on reconfiguring their 1,100-square-foot restaurant for the eventual restart of seated dining.

Although the exact guidelines have not been released, the Kadoyas have prepared by installing a new air purification system plus UV lights for disinfection. Shield guards have been placed in front of the sushi counter to separate the chefs from the guests as well as between seats for proper social distancing. The restaurant will host two seatings each night, with about two hours allowed per seating.

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The restaurant has been paying all of its employees in full during the crisis, and Raechel Kadoya says the Payment Protection Program helped enable them to undertake the reconfiguration during the temporary closure, also acknowledging the supplemental support provided by customers who have purchased hundreds of dollars in gift certificates.

Although the already-small restaurant will have to reduce its seating in a significant way, Kadoya tells Eater that the business should be sustainable with the added income provided by its takeout service, which Soichi Sushi intends to continue for the foreseeable future.

Offering a takeout menu that includes an elegant omakase, or multi-course chef’s dinner, as well as a la carte items, the eatery is now featuring delivery of select items via DoorDash. Kadoya, who hopes that all restaurant owners will take the needed measures to make sure customers feel safe enough to return to their restaurants, says the sushi bar will also implement no-touch ordering.