Locals Say Sayonara to Popular Sushi Fixes

Students and local residents alike must bid chicken teriyaki and salmon rolls a temporary goodbye as Tomo Sushi prepares to close and Caffé Swish’s indefinite renovation persists.

Tomo Sushi, located on Broadway between 110th and 111th streets, will officially close its doors this Sunday, Feb. 15, reported one of the restaurant’s hostesses, who wished to remain anonymous.

“The rent is too high,” said Dee Loke, Tomo’s manager in charge. “We cannot afford to continue.”

Four blocks north of Tomo, Caffé Swish, which is known for its bubble tea and Asian fusion cuisine, boasts a more optimistic future. The restaurant posted a sign earlier this week confirming rumors that their reopening will be accompanied by a new menu with only Japanese food. Another poster outside the restaurant, signed by the eatery’s management, informs passersby that they will be opening their doors “soon.”

But many locals are wondering how much time is meant by “soon.” John Jenkins, an employee at Ivy League Stationery next door, said the renovation has not been “as easy as they thought it would be,” adding that the space is very deep and therefore requires extensive construction.

The restaurant’s original January re-opening deadline several weeks past, Swish may not receive customers until “the end of March,” Jenkins suggested. He confirmed that they have been “drilling and hammering nonstop for the last month.”

Local diners leaving Tomo—most likely for their last time—expressed chagrin that the Japanese eatery will be shutting its doors.
“I am really sorry it is closing,” said Martin Fahy, a neighborhood resident.

Claudia Rivera, also a local resident, echoed this sadness. “It is a nice restaurant, I order in from them a lot.” Rivera also praised the Tomo staff. “They are generally friendlier than a lot of other places.”
Both Rivera and Fahy said they were surprised by the recent failure of local Japanese restaurants, citing the shutdown of Tokyo Pop on 104th Street and Broadway over a month ago.

But inside the campus gates, many Columbia students were not bothered by the fates of Tomo or Swish.

“To be honest, their sushi is pretty mediocre compared to other sushi you can get around here,” Joey Goldberg, CC ’10, said when he heard the news.

“Tomo closing doesn’t affect us that much,” said Monica Nania, CC ’09. “I have a friend who is obsessed with it, but I don’t care. I’d rather go downtown.”

And as for Swish, “Thai Market is better,” Nania added.

Yet other students were divided on the closings—such as Fabian Pfortmüller, GS—who expressed greater remorse over the fate of Tomo. “I like the small places. It makes the quality of life better. I’d rather go to those than a chain like McDonald’s. I’m sad to see it go.”

While Tomo’s future looks bleak for loyal patrons, employees expressed their hope for its return. “We could not find another place to reopen right now,” Loke said. “Maybe in the future, we would like to relocate somewhere else in the neighborhood where we can pay the rent.”

Loke added, “If students are upset, they can come by and leave their e-mails and we will let them know where we are reopening.”