Japanese Market and Sushi Deli Bid Farewell After 37 Years in Business

Over the weekend, a North Miami favorite Japanese Market and Sushi Deli closed up shop for good, marking an end to a successful 37-year run in South Florida.

Known for its fresh sushi, somewhat cramped dining 20-seat counter and strict no-cell phone policy, Sushi Deli — the small sushi restaurant housed inside Japanese Market — has been a favorite in the community well before high-end sushi and omakase tastings were all the rage.

The news of the closing was first reported by the Miami New Times earlier this year. According to the report, the restaurant’s owner and chef Michio Kushi has decided to retire after a long career. But those who are fans, weren’t terribly surprised. The writing seemed to be on the wall for the past few years that the end was near as the restaurant scaled back its hours and closed for an additional day each week.

Since the news broke that the restaurant was closing for good, it’s been more in demand than ever. Over the weekend guests stood in line for several hours just to have one last meal at the restaurant, as documented on social media. On its final day, people were getting in line up to four hours before its opening in order to have one last meal.

And while Michio Kushi is headed to retirement, the writer behind local restaurant blog Food For Thought mentioned on his Instagram yesterday that he is “hoping” Kushi’s daughter Erika will be “doing her own thing in the neighborhood soon.”