SakiTumi announced its closure Sept. 17, 2026. Jordan Lawrence/Staff
COLUMBIA — Another sushi restaurant has shuttered downtown.
SakiTumi Grill & Sushi Bar, which operated at 807 Gervais St. in the Vista, announced its permanent closure on Sept. 17. The restaurant opened in the fall of 2006.
The departure follows the July closures of two other downtown sushi spots — TakoSushi on Main Street and Camon Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar on Assembly Street.
“For 20 years, SakiTumi has been a part of this community,” the restaurant posted to social media. “A place where birthdays were celebrated, first dates happened, friendships were made, and countless memories were shared over good food, drinks, and laughter.”
SakiTumi called the closure closing a chapter and did not give a specific reason for shutting down. The post noted how the current owner has “fought to keep … doors open.”
The restaurant heaped praise on current and past owners, staff and its regulars for helping it stay in business for just shy of two decades.
“To the regulars who became friends, to the families who watched their children grow up here, to the couples who celebrated anniversaries, to the coworkers who made SakiTumi their after-work spot, and to everyone who has ever called this place home: we hope you know how much you have meant to us,” the restaurant said.
SakiTumi announced its closure Sept. 17, 2026. Jordan Lawrence/Staff
The Vista hallmark served a variety of adventurous sushi rolls and cocktails alongside tapas (ranging from edamame to toasted goat cheese) and specialty sushi items (from seared tuna chips to poke bowls), all served in the refined but relaxed atmosphere one would expect from a posh downtown bar.
“We are going to miss the familiar faces,” the restaurant said. “We are going to miss the sounds of the restaurant, the laughter, the late nights, and the little moments that made every day different. We are going to miss the people who became part of our everyday lives.”
Other sushi departures
Camon and TakoSushi announced their closures on the same day in early July.
Camon ceased operation after nearly 42 years in business as a result of the city selling its building to a developer bringing an upscale hotel to Main Street. Sky Bistro Lounge, another business in the building, announced its own closure the next month.
TakoSushi vacated its spot in the Arcade Mall on Main Street. That move cleared the way for local sandwich chain Crave Artisan Specialty Market to announce it would be taking the spot to open a third location. Both Crave and Takosushi are owned by Food People Restaurant Group, a Columbia-based group that covers several restaurants in the Carolinas and Georgia.
