Queenstown restaurant Tatsumi to close after eight years in town
Tatsumi Modern Japanese Dining has announced it will close its Queenstown location on August 30 after eight years of operation. The owners, Yoko and Koichi, plan to return to Japan for retirement after a 19-year journey that included locations in Christchurch and Auckland.
Why it matters
The closure highlights the long-term economic impact of the pandemic and shifting market conditions on small, independent hospitality businesses in tourist-heavy regions.
A long-running Japanese restaurant that has served diners in Christchurch, Auckland and Queenstown for nearly two decades has announced it will close at the end of the month.
In a statement on Saturday, Tatsumi Modern Japanese Dining said its final trading day would be Sunday, August 30.
Owners Yoko and Koichi said the decision marked the end of a 19-year journey that began in Christchurch in 2007.
“TATSUMI first opened in Christchurch in 2007. Following the Canterbury earthquakes, we relocated to Auckland in 2011, and in 2018 we moved to what we hoped would be our final home - beautiful Queenstown.”
The pair said their original plan had been to spend about five years in Queenstown before easing into semi-retirement, but the Covid-19 pandemic and economic conditions extended their stay.
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