A restaurant that has been part of University Town Center's dining and drinking scene for a decade has announced it will soon shut its doors, while its other Sarasota location will remain open.
JPAN Sushi & Grill will close its UTC location at 229 N. Cattlemen Road #61 after service Sept. 13, according to a social media post by the restaurant.
JPAN has another location at 3800 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota's Shops at Siesta Row that will continue on, as will sister restaurants Korê Steakhouse and Kuro Sushi in Lakewood Ranch, according to the post.
"For the past decade, JPAN UTC has been so much more than a restaurant," the post read. "It became
a place where we built a family — with guests who became friends, friends who became family, and an incredible team who stood beside us through the years and became family along the way.
We've shared birthdays, celebrations, first dates, family dinners, late nights, countless conversations, and so many memories around these tables. To everyone who has been part of the JPAN family, thank you for making these 10 years so special."
What is the story behind JPAN Sushi & Grill?
As its name would suggest, JPAN serves sushi and a variety of other Asian dishes, including grilled items such as teriyaki chicken, shrimp, salmon or tofu. It also offers a happy hour with deals on drinks, small bites and sushi rolls.
The original JPAN in Shops at Siesta Row opened in 2008, followed by the UTC location in 2016, around the same time California Pizza Kitchen, Rusty Bucket and BurgerFi also opened their doors. Although California Pizza Kitchen remains open, Kitchen Social has since replaced Rusty Bucket, and BurgerFi's former space is currently occupied by Florence and the Spice Boys.
JPAN's owner also opened Korean barbecue restaurant Korê Steakhouse in Lakewood Ranch's Sarasota County development Waterside Place in 2022 and Kuro Sushi, which serves sushi, skewers and small plates, on Lakewood Ranch's Main Street last year.
For more information on JPAN Sushi & Grill, call 941-960-3997 for its UTC location and 941-954-5726 for its Shops at Siesta Row location, or visit jpanrestaurant.com.
Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Popular Sarasota restaurant closing after a decade
