Tsunami Sushi’s location on Highland Road in Baton Rouge has been closed since Saturday at least — and it could be closed indefinitely amid the company’s bankruptcy.
The sign on the door, at 1 Smart Way Suite 100, off Highland, in Baton Rouge, reads: “Tsunami Highland will be closed today. Please visit our downtown Baton Rouge location.”
The new Tsunami @Highland in Baton Rouge
BY JAN RISHER | Staff writer
Attempts to reach restaurant management for comment have been unsuccessful.
The closure comes after the Tsunami Sushi company filed for federal bankruptcy protection in March, four years after the current owners, Chad Hughes, Connie Hargrave and Sarwat Gad, bought the company from a Lafayette group led by Michele Ezell of Lafayette.
In March, the owners filed for federal bankruptcy protection. Each of the restaurant’s four locations had between $2.5 million and $3.5 million in debt, according to filings, and in a company statement, Tsunami Sushi stated the intention to keep each location open through the bankruptcy process.
In the space at Tsunami at Highland, Tiek Byday designers used beaded curtains and water elements to reflect the restaurant’s brand.
PROVIDED PHOTO BY JACQUELINE MARQUE
Before bankruptcy, the restaurant had two locations in Baton Rouge, one in Lafayette and one in New Orleans. Just last month, an article from The Advocate/Times-Picayune stated that the New Orleans location quietly closed and was found empty in June.
With Tsunami Sushi Highland’s closure on Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday, when it is normally open, the restaurant chain may already have dwindled down to two locations.
As of Tuesday early evening, Katie Cooper, manager of the three-story building that holds Tsunami, called @Highland, said she hasn’t received a final decision from Tsunami operators yet.
“Tsunami operators are still working with the court and the trustee, and we as the landlord have not received a final decision yet,” Cooper said.
The restaurant at Highland opened in 2024, designed by Baton Rouge firm Tiek Byday was designed to seat up to 249 people. It included outdoor seating and several private and semiprivate dining rooms. Tsunami served sushi rolls, nigiri, appetizers, cocktails and seafood specialties like tuna tataki and smoked salt escolar.
The building for Tsunami at Highland included a vast ceiling height and large interior. To combat the height issue, designers with Tiek Byday installed 900 brass pipes that hang from the ceiling in a three-dimensional waveform.
PROVIDED PHOTO BY JACQUELINE MARQUE
Baton Rouge’s downtown location remains open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, closed Sundays and Mondays.
Dining and Cooking