Celebrity hotspot Sushiya closing in West Hollywood after 28 years

The sun is setting on yet another famed eatery in West Hollywood.

Sunset Strip staple Sushiya will close their doors on September 29 after nearly 30 years in business, the restaurant announced today. The shock shuttering adds yet another unwelcome name to the list of established eateries closed amid LA’s ongoing restaurant apocalypse.

“After 28 years as a fixture on Sunset Boulevard, Sushiya will close its doors at the end of September, bringing to a close the last remaining legacy restaurant at Sunset Plaza,” a social media announcement from the restaurant read.

The restaurant said their closure marks the end of a “defining chapter” for the upscale area.

“Sunset Boulevard has changed enormously over the years, but Sushiya remained much the same, staying open late for familiar faces, neighborhood regulars, and generations of guests who came to think of it as their place on Sunset,” they said.

First opened in 1998, the restaurant was a celebrity hotspot — Rihanna, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Travolta, and Stevie Wonder and many more dined there over the years.

Fans were disheartened by the news.

“Honestly what is happening,” one wrote, pointing out the seemingly endless list of closures in West Hollywood.

“Ugh I’m going to miss this SO hard,” another said. “Beyond love you guys and all the memories at Sushiya.”

“The best sushi in LA period! See you tonight,” a third exclaimed.

Sushiya joins a wave of other bars, restaurants, and nightclubs in the area that have announced closures in recent months, including celebrity hotspot Employees Only, the railway-themed Electric Owl, nightclub The Belmont, seafood spot Connie & Teds, and many more.

The Sunset Strip’s woes extend far beyond a few restaurants. Earlier this summer, The Post took a walk along the world-famous corridor, low lined with closed businesses and marked by a dismal spirit.

Data from the city council shows the Sunset Strip is one of the most expensive places to set up shop in the LA area — just behind Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and nearby Melrose Avenue.

One business owner said the Strip has changed for the worse as small businesses struggle to stay afloat.

“A lot of the businesses are struggling to break even because the cost of living is rising and the rent is rising,” Sofi Mamo of A Divine H20 told the California Post.

“A lot of the businesses are struggling to break even because the cost of living is rising and the rent is rising,” she said — noting that her rent has almost tripled since she opened 20 years ago.

 “I think every small business, every mom-and-pop, all the small businesses are in danger of extinction,” she continued.

Last year, the vacancy rate in West Hollywood for retail spaces was 10.3% and 16.3% for office spaces, according to the city.

A lack of visitors has also impacted the area. Last summer, the city also released figures showing that 300,000 fewer visitors came in West Hollywood in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the year before.

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