Japanese Food With a Small-Business Feel

Jane Chen has been working nonstop to get the new sushi restaurant, Suma, off the ground-and it sure hasn't been easy.

"With a small business, we have to do everything by ourselves," she said while her husband and co-owner Guo worked outside to fix the delivery man's bicycle. "We don't have a lot of capital."

And by "everything," she meant anything from making the actual deliveries, which currently average around 30 orders a night, to cooking some of the dishes, to renovating the location. When they first bought it, it was "lousy," she said, but now, "everything's brand new."

Prior to Suma, which is located on Amsterdam Avenue between 107th and 108th Streets, Jane worked for seven years at various Japanese restaurants in midtown.

"I decided I needed to open my own restaurant because I have kids and I can't go back to school," she said. "So I talked to my husband about opening our own place."

In preparing for their future business, Jane started scouting out similar restaurants in the area, figuring out how to make her restaurant more competitive.

"I've been like a spy," she said with a smile.

Although all of Suma's employees are Chinese, Jane settled on sushi after consulting a Japanese friend.

The Chens were ready to open their new establishment at the end of August 2005, but after only 10 days, a fire left them out of business for six months. The cause of the fire is still unknown. The couple spent that time rebuilding, however, and in the final 15 days before reopening, they averaged 16-hour workdays, sometimes sleeping at the restaurant.

The fire also affected nearby buildings like Jumbo Pizza, allowing the Chens to become better acquainted with their neighbors. Sometimes employees from Jumbo Pizza make deliveries for Suma.

Suma re-opened Feb. 20, with the same six employees plus one part-timer.

"Here, everyone's like family," she said. At one point, her brother also worked at Suma as the kitchen chef.

Among Suma's regulars is Charles Cheffler, who frequents the eatery once or twice a week and whose photography is now displayed on the restaurant's walls.

Since its reopening, Chen said that business has been slow but improving. Most customers aren't Columbia students, but Suma does have a meal catered specifically toward student budgets: The Suma Special Bento offers the choice of two entrees, served with salad, a California roll, shumai and rice for $14.50.