Less than a year after opening, Sazani Oceana is closing.
The contemporary seafood restaurant in the former Edwins Too space in Shaker Square was a partnership between Akin Affrica, the operator behind Zanzibar Soul Fusion, Cleveland Breakfast Club, The Vegan Club and multiple Angie’s Soul Café locations, and Josh Cribbs.
“Unfortunately, the economic environment has made it increasingly difficult to sustain the restaurant,” management said in a press release. “Like many businesses across the hospitality industry, Sazani Oceana has faced significant increases in the cost of food, labor, utilities, insurance, supplies, and other operating expenses. At the same time, consumers are facing their own economic pressures, which have changed spending patterns and made it increasingly challenging for restaurants to absorb higher costs while maintaining the level of quality and service our guests deserve.”
The restaurant will officially close at the end of business on October 4.
“We are extremely proud of what we built at Sazani Oceana, and this decision is incredibly difficult,” Affrica said in a statement. “We opened this restaurant because we believed in Cleveland, we believed in Shaker Square, and we believed there was an opportunity to create something special for this community. Unfortunately, the current economic realities of operating a restaurant made continuing unsustainable.”
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