A Boise restaurant was forced to close after 45 years. This one replaces it soon
When Great Wall was forced to close last year in Five Mile Plaza, it was the end of an era — what the general manager of the family-owned Chinese restaurant called a “shocker.”
The restaurant, which opened in 1980, did not have its lease renewed. And while specifics of the situation differed based on the perspectives of the manager and building landlord, Great Wall had just one option: to leave.
But good news — especially for fans of Asian food in southwest Boise.
Nearly a year later, the 8,022-square-foot space at 10398 Overland Road has been reborn. A new concept, Henya Sushi, is on track to open. And, by all appearances, relatively soon.
“I’m hoping two or three months,” said real estate agent Stephanie Nguyen, who handled the lease transaction for the tenant.
Henya Sushi will be an all-you-can-eat concept serving sushi and other Japanese food, Nguyen said. The owner is a first-timer, but he is receiving help from an experienced restaurateur, she added.
Johnny Deng, founder of the successful Nara Ramen chain, is facilitating the launch of the new restaurant, Nguyen explained. But Henya Sushi is not a Nara Ramen spin-off. “The food and everything is different,” she said.
Deng does not have a financial stake in the business, said Nguyen, who also is Nara Ramen’s regional manager.
All-you-can-eat sushi is an increasingly common concept in the Treasure Valley. Umi Japanese Shabu Shabu, 2325 E. Fairview Ave. in Meridian, recently reopened after closing temporarily to expand its menu into a “premium Japanese sushi AYCE dining experience.” And all-inclusive-focused sushi restaurants in Boise such as Sushi Bros and Yoi Tomo Sushi & Grill definitely have a following.
Nguyen said she thinks remodeling will begin shortly at Henya Sushi. The project cost is estimated at $85,000, according to a permit for minor tenant improvements submitted to the city.