LOWER EAST SIDE — The controversial nightclub Happy Ending has launched a nighttime sushi venture — creating a more permanent home for the raw-fish pop-up events hosted by chef Michael Stember across the country.
Stember, a former Olympic athlete, created the "underground sushi society" Sushi Belly Tower in 2012 with an inaugural pop-up in Los Angeles, according to his company Upstream Foods.
After a pop-up event on Jan. 21, the sushi spot became a regular fixture at the Broome Street club several nights per week, according to a new Instagram account for the eatery.
The venture, called Belly, is serving up sushi there Tuesday through Saturday from 8 p.m. until midnight.
Happy Ending, which bills itself as a "French restaurant and dance club," has drawn the ire of neighbors who say its rowdy crowds who congregate on the sidewalk have often kept them up at night.
The local community board's State Liquor Authority subcommittee voted to deny the bar a liquor license renewal over the summer due to the litany of noise complaints against the space.
The authority did ultimately issue the space a new liquor license, SLA records show.
It was not immediately clear whether the sushi spot would be a permanent addition to the club, which also serves French cuisine and cocktails.
Reps for Happy Ending did not return requests for comment, and Stember could not immediately be reached.
