Business News

Tsunami Sushi Bar to open New Orleans location

by Christiaan Mader

Big Easy sushi snobs will get a taste of how Acadiana rolls.

Left to Right - Sean Ezell, Michele Ezell, Toon Nguyen, Fred Nonato

Tsunami Sushi is set to open a New Orleans location, signing a lease on a property in the CDB earlier this week. The new location will be the fourth Tsunami iteration since the sleek contemporary Japanese eatery and sushi bar first opened in Lafayette 15 years ago. Earlier this year, Tsunami opened its third location inside of Cypress Bayou Casino in Charenton, taking over the spot once occupied by Rik Rak.

“We think it's the perfect location for easy access for the neighboring businesses and residents as well as tourists,” Tsunami owner and founder Michele Ezell said in a press release.

Tsunami’s New Orleans location will be tucked into the first floor of the Pan Am Insurance building near the intersection of St. Charles Avenue and Poydras Street. While just a hop, skip and a Hand Grenade away from the French Quarter, Tsunami NOLA will have ready access to a host of high end hotels and commercial skyscrapers, packed to the gills with businessfolk looking for a dry martini and a Philadelphia roll. True to form, the business casual decor of Tsunami’s other restaurants will accommodate the motley crowds of New Orleans’ greater downtown area. The development marks a return of sorts for Tsunami partner and Chief Operating Officer Fred Nonato to New Orleans, where he attended culinary school at Delgado Community College.

Demolition is set to begin soon, with an official opening pending for some time in 2016. Architecture firm Eskew, Dumez and Ripple and designer John Vaccari will handle the aesthetic details, installing the comfy couture and atmosphere customary to Tsunami’s three other locations.