1 of 5
Photo by Samuel Zide
2 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
5 of 5
Jenny and Eric Heckman (left) could almost make the move without renting a truck.
The owners of Tani Sushi Bistro at 16 S. Bemiston in Clayton will be moving around the corner onto Forsyth Avenue, in the same block as Gerard Craft’s Niche and Pastaria (below). The address of the new Tani will be 7726 Forsyth, just east of Pastaria.
Craft's restaurants opened in the Centene Plaza Shops in the 7700 block of Forsyth, within a few weeks of one another last fall, and although several other restaurants have shown interest in the remaining spaces, Tani is the first to sign a lease.
It’s not that Tani needed better exposure or that business was lacking. Heckman said that sales were almost too good, hence the need for more space. “Customers were having more and more trouble getting a reservation--even our regulars couldn’t get in anymore," Heckman confessed. "It was frustrating—they’d call me for help and we were so full even I couldn’t get them in.”
The original Tani (left) was 2800 SF and accommodated 85 diners in the main dining room; the new space is 4100 SF and will have seating for 130. The Forsyth location will also have a 1300 SF mezzanine to handle private events, parties, and weekend overflow, if needed.
Area 14, a signless space two doors north of Tani, was added later to handle such situations. At the new location, all those functions will occur under one roof. “We’ve basically redesigned all the things we either didn’t plan for or that weren’t working as well as they should have,” Heckman explained. So look for more flexible private space, a larger sushi bar, and a more spacious waiting area.
When Tani Sushi Bistro burst upon downtown Clayton five years ago, it was the fifth sushi restaurant within the city limits. Regardless, we were impressed with the “culinary non sequitur.” But Heckman believes that after five years, a restaurant “needs to do something,” as in expand, improve, or move. With a solid menu mix and an ever-increasing customer base, his choice was easy.
Heckman feels that that the 7700 block of Forsyth has the potential to be the hottest restaurant address in the city, and if some of the rumored suitors (some local, some not) actually materialize, he may well be right. (The couple also own Takaya New Asian, which opened last year at 634 Washington, on another of the city's hottest restaurant blocks.)
Once permits are submitted next week, build-out should take roughly 90 days, which translates to the first “Oh My God” roll (below) being set aflame in early spring.
