Athens' first sushi restaurant has permanently closed after 27 years in business

It's hard to believe that there was once a time when a beloved staple of Japanese cuisine wasn't available in Athens, but the 1997 opening of Utage Athens Sushi Bar changed all that. And though the 440 Clayton St. restaurant successfully weathered heavy remodeling projects in the area as well as the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, it permanently closed this month.

Utage's first sushi chef, Satoshi "Tetsu" Koga, came to the U.S. from Japan and worked as a sushi chef in Knoxville, Tennessee before answering a job search for the new downtown Athens establishment. Koga helped introduce sushi to the Classic City, and Utage's success gave way to restaurants like Sakura, Shokitini, and Inoko. Ru San's, which closed in November 2022 , had been in business for 20 years.

"Coming soon" banners for Tiger All You Can Eat Sushi were recently tied to Utage's store front, but it was not clear whether Tiger would be under new ownership or new management. An opening date for the restaurant was not available, and phone calls and email to Utage's contact information were not immediately returned.

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This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens' first sushi restaurant has permanently closed after 27 years in business