A long-time, hidden Japanese ramen store in Richmond has officially closed after more than a decade.
Shibuyatei Japanese Restaurant, at the corner of Bridgeport and Sexsmith roads, said its final goodbye on Sunday, Aug. 24, after 13 years of operation.
Owner and chef Takeo Sato ran the small 14-seat restaurant on his own, from greeting customers, to taking orders, cooking, cleaning and even buying ingredients sometimes.
Since 2011, Shibuyatei served Tokyo-style ramen, which Sato calls "larmen," as well as other dishes like curry udon, gyoza and more.
Sato told the Richmond News during an earlier visit that it would be closing due to the redevelopment in the area.
An application was submitted to the City of Richmond in 2022 by Wilson Chang Architect to rezone the area with plans to construct a 14-storey hotel and office building.
The proposal includes ground-floor retail and restaurants.
Sato was known for having specific rules that helped him run his one-man operation "smoothly."
However, not everyone was a fan of these rules, he explained.
"I've had people call me rude for being strict with (my) rules, but I have them for reasons to run the restaurant," said Sato.
In one instance, Sato even received a Human Rights case against the restaurant for his rules.
He added there have been cases where individuals who have never visited his restaurant have given him “one-star Google reviews,” which affected his business.
When asked whether he plans to re-open another location, Sato said his original plan was to find a new space.
However, increased rental costs have made it difficult to do so, resulting in him closing down Shibuyatei for good.
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