Fire temporarily closes family-owned Japanese restaurant in East Sacramento
The family-owned Japanese restaurant Hana Tsubaki in Sacramento is temporarily closed after a fire that stayed mostly in the kitchen, the owner said.
The fire started about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Justin Sylvia, a captain and public information officer with the Sacramento Fire Department. He said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
“Crews contained it to the kitchen,” Sylvia said. “They had to pull some of the ceiling down just to make sure that there wasn’t fire up above them, and they extinguished all hotspots.”
Structure fire, 5000 block of J Street. Fire in the kitchen area of a restaurant that was not occupied at the time of the fire. No injuries reported and the cause is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/KncnEZZAVw
— Sacramento Fire Department (@SacFirePIO) January 26, 2023
He said access to the fire was a “bit of an issue” and that there was a heavier-duty security door that firefighters forced entry to, but they still entered the building in less than a minute.
Owner James Takashiba said he found out about the blaze by a notification from the company alarm. The Bee previously reported that Takashiba took over operations of the restaurant, which has been open for 45 years, from his parents.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have much information yet,” Takashiba said via Facebook messenger. “As far as timeline for reopening, we are not quite sure yet either.”
He said he wanted to thank customers who have sent messages and other support.
“We consider all of them friends and family, and we are determined to serve everyone for many more years,” he said.
Sylvia said the restaurant likely will have to do remodels and contact the county for approval to reopen.
