Sushiya, the sushi restaurant at 325 N. Mead in Wichita’s Old Town Square, has been closed for several weeks. Owner Jiyeon Kim said the closure came down to a single issue: She couldn’t find a sushi chef.
A sign on Sushiya’s front door describes the closure as temporary. But the situation is more complicated. Kim, contacted on Monday, said she has “no concrete plans” to reopen the restaurant.
Why Sushiya closed
Kim pointed to a staffing gap that left the restaurant without the core skill it needed to operate. Without a qualified sushi chef, the kitchen couldn’t function as a sushi restaurant.
She hasn’t abandoned the idea of reopening entirely. Time remains on her lease at the Old Town Square space, and she said she is not ruling out a return…