San Francisco’s popular Ichi Sushi permanently closes due to pandemic

“Thank you to everyone, especially our amazing team members through the years who made ICHI such a special place. We’ve loved working with and learning from all of you. Thank you to the guests who trusted us with all your special memories. Love to you all,” she wrote Tuesday afternoon.

Archuleta told The Chronicle she and her husband plan to sell the Ichi Sushi restaurant at 3369 Mission St., and the decision to close was based around concerns around the time frame for a vaccine for COVID-19.

“It’s just didn’t seem feasible for us to open back up with how our restaurant operates. We have to put health first,” she said.

Ichi debuted in San Francisco in 2006 and built such a following that it expanded into a larger space nearby on Mission Street in 2014. About three years later, the owners scaled back and returned to the original space. At the time, Archuleta said the move was a way to help Tim, who was in and out of the hospital recovering from surgery.

“It has really been a special journey and the response we’ve had to closing is just people sharing overwhelmingly positive memories. People got engaged here, I remember people from the neighborhood helping us put up tables before we first opened. This whole thing was just a community effort,” she said.

Ichi Sushi joins a growing list of beloved San Francisco food businesses to close since shelter in place. In early June, Cambodian restaurant Angkor Borei, which is located near Ichi Sushi, andToy Boat Dessert Café, a popular spot for ice cream and sweets in the Inner Richmond, both closed in San Francisco. Together, the businesses had been open for nearly 70 years.

“When you’re a business owner, you deal with a lot of things. But a pandemic was new for us,” Archuleta said with a laugh. “I’m glad to see friends reopening and outdoor dining. We just didn’t fit into that model.”