Our First Story |
In the early part of February 2002, after thinking about it "off 'n' on" for several years, Midori and I finally decided to go for it and open our store. We originally planned to open a tea shop and small Japanese deli; with tentative plans to add a sushi bar in a few years -maybe. In searching out a location, we found a very nice storefront only eight blocks from our home. This store was part of a complete re-development underway on the corner of East Lake Street and 27th Avenue South, in the Midtown district of South Minneapolis. We called the developer, and told him of our plans (including the "sushi-bar-down-the-road" idea.) As bizarre good fortune "appeared" to shining on us at that moment, he told us he was hoping to find a sushi bar for that very location! Was this spooky, dumb luck, or just the punch line? To make a long story short (because there is so much weird detail that it could go on for hours) we re-configured our tea shop into a sushi bar (actually we scratched out tea shop on the floor plan and scrawled in sushi bar). We then found out that you can't really expect to have a "happening" sushi bar without a Japanese restaurant attached to it, and you really can't expect to serve Japanese food to discerning (and slightly exotic) customers without offering beer, wine and sake (it's just not right!). To make this long story even shorter, we went into it completely over our heads and out of our league - Midori and I are artists, not entrepreneurs. So, with a second mortgage on our home (which is now only a crash pad), a modest tax refund, a community development loan, a build-out loan from the developer, and a fistful of credit cards, we set out on the most nerve wracking trip of our lives - from nebulous idea to brick and mortar reality - with active participation in every event of the "Olympic Mind Games" in between. Advice: Don't open a restaurant unless you're insane, folks! |
Our Second Story |
On January 17, 2009, after operating for six years at 3011 27th Avenue South - we moved! An opportunity arose when a space became available only fifty feet (or so) from our original restaurant, at 2629 East Lake Street. The new space offered much desired public visibility, a larger dining room, a larger kitchen, and two restrooms. Construction began in July 2008. Our projected opening date in November 2008 passed - pretty typical. Our second projected opening date in December 2008 also passed - ok, then. So when our third projected opening date in January 2009 was rumored, we just kept on cooking. On Saturday, January 17, at 9:00 pm - one hour before closing - we received a phone call from our developer - YOU'RE MOVING TOMORROW! We always enjoy a good panic, so we panicked! We had a packing frenzy that night. The next day, Sunday, with the help of our employees, some of Gandhi Mahal's employees, and a forklift crew, we dragged the entire restaurant (and ourselves) across the street. Now, to make a long story short, we spent eighteen hours a day for the next ten days getting the place in shape. Advice: Don't move your restaurant to a new location unless you're insane, folks! |
We Serve Many Organic Fruits and Vegetables! |
Midori, Aria, and I have adhered to a natural, vegetarian-inspired diet for many years. We do eat fish, but it ends there. The original idea for our "tea shop-turned-restaurant" was to create an extension of our own home and lifestyle. In other words, we are serving you what we would serve ourselves. Although prohibited by availability and price in some cases, we serve as many organic fruits and vegetables as are reasonably available. Also, when we use certain "prepared" foods we try to obtain them with little or no additives. In our food preparation we limit or eliminate sugar. When we need a sweetener we prefer to use honey or agave. |
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