LINCOLN PARK — Itto Sushi, a Japanese staple that has called Lincoln Park home for 34 years, is closing at the end of the month, according to a longtime employee.
Randy Yuen, a longtime employee at the popular restaurant at 2616 N. Halsted St., confirmed the closure Tuesday, saying the owners are ready to move on.
"They've been doing this for so long. Their kids are grown. They're ready to settle down," Yuen said.
The restaurant is owned by husband and wife team, Juco and Keiko Hattori, who couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
Itto Sushi bills itself as one of the city's oldest Japanese restaurants.
Since opening in 1982, the restaurant has become a neighborhood favorite serving some of the most authentic Japanese fare in the city, including maki, sashimi and a range of appetizers.
Zagat described the spot as a "total real‑deal that predates the sushi craze."
Yuen started at Itto Sushi when he was 18 and went on to manage the restaurant from 1992 to 2001. He's since become a bartender.
"It's a mainstay, but I understand why they're closing," Yuen said.
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