Ninja Sushi closes in downtown Roseville, city official says. The reason is unclear

A Roseville sushi restaurant — named one of Yelp’s top 100 places to eat in the U.S. — closed its doors after four years.

The exact reason for the closing is unknown.

Founded by sushi chef and restaurateur Steve Kwon, Ninja Sushi & Teriyaki moved from a strip mall off Pleasant Grove Boulevard to a 10,000 square-foot, two-story location on Vernon Street downtown in 2016. According to previous Bee reporting, the decision was risky; the area had little foot traffic, and two other restaurants had already tried — and failed — to profit in the space.

“The whole downtown was completely dead,” said Kwon.

Ninja Sushi broke even within a year, building a solid fan base. Weekend wait times often reached 30 minutes, despite the restaurant’s 450-seat capacity.

Brian Jacobson, Roseville’s public information officer, confirmed Ninja Sushi’s closing to The Bee. While none of the restaurant’s social media pages have made an official announcement, they haven’t posted since mid-March.

Laura Matteoli, Roseville’s Economic Development Director, said in a statement she hopes that the restaurant will be able to reopen in a new space. Her team is working to find another tenant for the “prime downtown Roseville location.”