Hama Sushi is at 213 Windward Avenue, and opened in 1979
Gathering highlights historic sushi restaurant’s decades-long role in the Venice community.
By Nick Antonicello
About 60 or so members of the Venice Chamber of Commerce hosted their monthly meet and greet at the historic and iconic Hama Sushi, located just steps from the beach at Windward Circle Wednesday meeting.
Hama Sushi is at 213 Windward Avenue, and opened in 1979, making it roughly 47 years old.
Hama prides itself as one of the first sushi restaurants on the Westside and emphasizes its role as a Venice favorite and culinary institution.
The restaurant was purchased by Esther Chiang in 2004, and the Venice Chamber has highlighted Chiang’s involvement in Venice as a member in good standing.
According to the Chamber’s profile of Hama, the restaurant has supported the Venice Art Crawl and Venice Arts Council, hosted fundraisers for the Venice Japanese American Memorial Monument that raised more than $20,000 for that project through seven years of financial support.
Hama Sushi has a community role beyond being just a restaurant—it has become part of Venice’s social and civic fabric.
The Venice Chamber of Commerce is a long-established business organization dating to 1907.
Its activities extend beyond conventional business promotion into networking, advocacy, tourism, arts, neighborhood improvement, and civic affairs.
Nick Antonicello is a thirty-three-year resident who covers all things, Venice. Have a take or a tip? Contact him via e-mail at [email protected].
Dining and Cooking