TSUNAMI SUSHI AND HIBACHI Samuel Ray and Jeffrey Karasawa
“I am elated with the support our community has shown to us. We immediately fell in love with Sarasota and are thrilled to bring everything we’ve learned to Lakewood Ranch”
TRIBUTE TO BUSINESS ON THE CREATIVE COAST
— Samuel Ray (shown to the right)
THE BEGINNING OF TSUNAMI ACTUALLY STARTED on Samuel’s 21st birthday dinner in Texas at Kobé Japanese Steakhouse. He left a large tip to the best server he had ever known, Jeffrey Karasawa and the two struck up a conversation, became friends, and the adventure was well underway. Jeffrey offered Samuel a job as a server, which he gratefully accepted. Samuel strived to learn everything about the business as quickly as possible and within a few short weeks he was promoted to manager. They doubled sales two months after Samuel’s promotion. Samuel and Jeffrey’s friendship grew and so did their interest for bigger opportunities. During Samuel’s time as restaurant manager, he heard a rumor from one of the chefs about a struggling restaurant in Sarasota that needed saving. He flew to Sarasota to explore the opportunity for himself. He worked undercover as a server at the current Tsunami location and saw the potential for a successful restaurant. Six months later, Samuel and Jeffrey became business partners, purchased the corporation and took ownership. After “blood, sweat, and tears” Tsunami was born. It was only a matter of time before Tsunami transformed into the best Asian dining experience in Sarasota; dedicated to providing an amazing upscale dining experience to their patrons. With the support of the loyal community, Tsunami has been able to survive the pandemic and come back stronger than ever. We are thrilled to announce our second location opening soon in Lakewood Ranch. This new location will have all of the delicious food offered in SRQ, and even more! The atmosphere will cater to family dining, as well as an upscale bar and event space for people to enjoy craft cocktails, live music, and a place to relax after a long day’s work.
100 CENTRAL AVE STE 1022 SARASOTA, FL 34236 TSUNAMISARASOTA@GMAIL.COM 941-366-1033; TSUNAMI-SARASOTA.COM
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8/13/21 11:52 AM
