Chester Sushi Bar closes as recession bites

Jan 13 2011 by Allison Dickinson, Chester Chronicle

CHESTER’S only conveyor belt sushi restaurant has closed after just two years.

The owners of the innovative Bridge Street eaterie, which earned a cult following on the internet before it even opened its doors, used social networking site Facebook to announce the closure on Friday afternoon.

In response to the announcement, customers posted messages of support and expressed their disappointment at the closure, like John Henry Cosby, who said: “The best place to eat in Chester, gone. It was and always will be my favourite place to eat. A very sad day for Chester.”

Another comment, posted by Linda Graham, said: “Absolutely gutted. It was our favourite treat eatery. There’s no point in us visiting Chester any more.”

Despite overcoming floods, work to prevent the Rows collapsing overhead and disruptions due to roadworks and power cuts, the business seemed to be riding the storm of the recession.

But owner Danny Shepherd said part of the blame lay with the fact that the city ‘dies’ after the shops close in the early evening.

He said: “The city seems to be regressing more and more.

“There’s no reason for anyone to be in the city centre after 5pm unless they are getting drunk in one of the bars – no cinema, no theatre, no music venue and no late night shops.

“Chester is completely dead after 5pm and we needed passing trade.”

Stephen Wundke of Chester City Centre Management said: “The restaurant trade is the toughest business to operate in a recession as they are the first area where people stop spending.

“It is a tough industry to be in, but to introduce a sushi bar into a conservative town like Chester was always going to be risky.”