LINCOLN PARK — After 34 years, the husband-and-wife team behind Japanese staple Itto Sushi are bidding the neighborhood farewell by selling an array of their Japanese treasures.
Beginning Friday, Juco and Keiko Hattori will sell a wide variety of Japanese dishes, serving items, original cat prints and other odds and ends (anyone need a sushi case?) at Itto Sushi, 2616 N. Halsted St. The sale will run from noon to 5 p.m. each day until Monday, ahead of the restaurant closing for good.
There will be dishes and serving items galore at Itto Sushi's closing sale. [All photos DNAinfo/Mina Bloom]
Many of the items will go for a few dollars each. But rare finds such as original prints by Japanese artist Masato Taniuchi will start at around $250. Taniuchi is a monk who is gaining prominence as an artist in Japan, Keiko Hattori said.
In the beginning of June, Juco and Keiko Hattori told their staff they were planning to close at the end of the month, which was first reported by DNAinfo.
After less than two months for sale as a pocket listing, the building sold to Alverna Group for about $1.5 million, according to the real estate agents who brokered the sale, Michael Milstead and Oliver Stone with Hansen Realty.
The Chicago-based developer is planning to tear down the building and replace it with a four-story development with ground-floor retail topped with six residential units, the agents said.
Since the plan is in its early stages, the developer has yet to choose a retail tenant or decide whether the units will be apartments or condos.
Owners Keiko (left) and Juco Hattori. [DNAinfo/Mina Bloom]
Surrounded by boxes Wednesday, Juco Hattori said he and his wife simply wanted to retire and spend more time with their daughter, who lives in Idaho.
"I don't feel [like it's over] yet. Maybe another month or two," he said.
It will be a welcome change of pace for Juco Hattori, who said he didn't miss one day of work in all 34 years. Asked why, he laughed and said, "People loving it. That's why I do it."
Billed as the city's oldest Japanese restaurant, Itto Sushi became 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."
So, where can Itto Sushi fans go for sushi now that it's closed?
Juco Hattori said customers have been asking him that question a lot, and he doesn't have a great answer.
"I just eat here," he said with a laugh. "I don't make sushi at home. Sometimes I go to Chinatown and Koreatown."
Prints by Japanese artist Masato Taniuchi will start at around $250.
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