building exterior
Sushi 86 Credit: Douglas Trattner

Since Rachel and Mike Hsu opened their first shop in 2000, Sushi 86 has called seven different locations home. The first was a five-seat shoebox on Public Square. The last was in a gorgeous waterfront space at Harbor Verandas at the North Coast Harbor. In between were homes in and around the 5th Street Arcades downtown.

Late last year, the North Coast Harbor location, which opened in 2023, quietly closed its doors. Facing another long, difficult winter, the operators decided to cut their losses.

“There wasn’t enough business downtown,” says Rachel. “We didn’t get locals, we only got tourists. And this winter would have been rough down there.”

For many years, Sushi 86 has done the bulk of its business in the shadows, working with large food-service providers to prepare sushi for organizations such as the Browns, Cavs, and most of the large, local catering companies. That type of work will continue, says management.

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For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.