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Katakana Owner Apologizes After Citation, Restaurant Brawl

By Darryl Holliday | January 8, 2015 5:36am
 A cease-and-desist order was issued to Katakana sushi restaurant Monday after video of a late-night weekend fight surfaced.
A cease-and-desist order was issued to Katakana sushi restaurant Monday after video of a late-night weekend fight surfaced.
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DNAinfo/Darryl Holliday

LOGAN SQUARE — The owner of a Logan Square sushi restaurant has a few words for the neighborhood after video of a late-night brawl prompted a citation from the city and criticism from Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) and neighbors.

“You can tell them we’re sorry,” said Christian Calderon, a Belmont Cragin resident and owner of Katakana, 2829 W. Armitage Ave. “I’m embarrassed for my neighbors here, that they had to deal with this situation.”

Video of the weekend brawl surfaced Monday showing more than a dozen men loudly arguing and shoving each other on a quiet residential street outside of Katakana. The fight was initially over a woman but spread to the street, Calderon said after reviewing surveillance tape from inside the restaurant.

“I was out of the country, then I come back and see all this bad news. My manager showed me the video, and I said, 'Whoa, this is incredible,’" Calderon said Wednesday. “We do sushi. We’re in the food industry. We don’t do parties or night clubs or anything like that.”

He promised: “This is not going to happen again."

A cease-and-desist order was issued to the sushi eatery Monday for hosting a late-night event without a public place of amusement license, a violation of city code, according to Moreno.

“Fourteenth District PD is aware of the situation," Moreno said after complaints about the incident surfaced online. "Troubled Buildings will be performing an investigation, and a cease-and-desist has been issued."

Part of that investigation could include recent parties hosted at Katakana, such as a Dec. 13 event posted on Facebook. The “Timewarp 2014” party from CAC Events and Vdorio Entertainment promised a 17+ BYOB party with “girls free before 12:30 a.m.” and a $5 cover charge for men.

Katakana closes at midnight on Saturdays, according to its website, but the Dec. 13 party was listed as running from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Despite witnessing at least three of what she referred to as “police-worthy” incidents at the restaurant, Katakana neighbor Abby Clough says she’ll continue to support the restaurant.

“I support their presence as a sushi restaurant and would continue to support that business, but the club needs to be shut down,” she said. “I don't like empty businesses in our neighborhood. I wish they could just focus on having a great restaurant.”

According to Calderon, Katakana is a family-run business, and despite a slow month at the restaurant, the late-night parties are over.

“I can guarantee these parties won’t be at my place anymore,” he said.

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