Susan Walters has announced that she will be closing her pizza restaurant, Cha at Tinnerman Lofts, at the end of May. The Ohio City restaurant, which is located in a beautifully restored century home, opened in early 2023 as the third iteration of the concept.
But the unique restaurant property at 2054 Fulton Road already has been claimed by another operator. Johanes Jonathan, who runs Issho Ni Ramen and Sushi (34302 Euclid Ave., 440-306-8020) in Willoughby, has ambitious plans for the place.
Out in Willoughby, Issho Ni has been offering exceptional ramen and sushi since 2019. Recently, the restaurant rolled out a weekly omakase, a special reservation-only, multi-course sushi event. The dinners give the sushi chefs a chance to spread their wings with higher-end offerings flown in from Japan.
In Ohio City, Jonathan has plans to open a two-level eatery, with different concepts on each floor. The first floor will be devoted to a casual, high-energy izakaya, often described as a "Japanese-style tapas bar."
"The izakaya will not be fully authentic Japanese because I’m going to infuse it with international taste, because I’m from Indonesia," Jonathan explains.
The upper floor will be the new home of the omakase dinners. With just eight seats, the sushi eatery will be reaching even higher than those weekly events in Willoughby. Diners who make a reservation can expect to experience between 20 and 23 courses at a price of around $350 per person.
"I want to introduce the Cleveland people about the omakase experience," adds Jonathan.
With partners like chef Ryan and chef Kwan, who comes from the highly esteemed L.A. sushi eatery Kogane, diners can expect to be blown away, says Jonathan.
"This will be traditional Tokyo-style omakase, with more luxurious and rare fish," he says.
Plans for the interior renovations have been submitted to the city, says Jonathon. If all goes as planned, the as-yet-unnamed restaurant will open in late 2024 or early 2025.
There will be no changes out in Willoughby.
For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.
Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, publishing 12 times a year with immersive features, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.
