A year after a fire caused more than $1 million in damage to Takamatsu, the popular Tucson Japanese restaurant is set to re-open.
Takamatsu, 5532 E. Speedway, will reopen Thursday with a new look and a tweaked menu that includes an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $9.95 per person featuring Korean barbecue, sushi, noodles, fried rice, desserts and soups.
The restaurant got rid of its teppanyaki tables. Peter Koga, who is part of the family that owns the restaurant, said teppanyaki dining - in which flashy chefs cook food in front of diners at their tables - is going out of style due to the high cost, which he said doesn't mesh with the poor economy.
The 8,500-square-foot restaurant, which seats 240 diners, also has expanded its sushi bar and will offer it uninterrupted throughout the day. Many sushi restaurants take a break between lunch and dinner service.
People are also reading…
A daily happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. will include discounted prices and appetizers, sushi and the dinner menu available "tapas-style."
The restaurant will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Takamatsu also has two restaurants in Phoenix.
Koga said he laid off nine employees after the fire, and has hired back three of the workers. He said 12 members of his approximately 50-person staff were with him before the fire. Koga declined to comment about any insurance matters, including whether or not insurance covered his employees' lost wages.
Koga, who initially planned on reopening the restaurant four months after the fire, said administrative issues, red tape and longer-than-expected reconstruction forced the restaurant to stay closed for more than a year.
Koga said the fire destroyed so much in the restaurant that he had to gut the building and rebuild as it from scratch.
"I'm very tired, but we've got a positive attitude and we plan on being busy," Koga said.
DID YOU KNOW?
"Takamatsu" can be translated as "tall pine" from Japanese. The restaurant's moniker comes from a combination of family names.
Star reporter Cathalena E. Burch contributed to this report. Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at pvillarreal@azstarnet.com or 573-4130.
