Susie Sushi in Fox River Grove is closing but owner hopes to relocate: ‘Bittersweet experience’

Restaurant Susie Sushi in Fox River Grove is closing by the end of this month because of ongoing landlord disputes, but the owner promises to reopen at another location in the future.

Susie Sushi, located at 700 Northwest Highway, will close on Dec. 1 after operating at the location for two years. Owner Susie Lyu said frequent heat and air-conditioning outages, plus increased rent costs, were factors in her decision to close when her lease expires. The lease Lyu signed two years ago included conditions that leaves the tenant responsible for utility repairs.

“I just cannot afford to repair the entire building anymore and keep my doors open,” she said. “English is not my first language. ... This is my first experience and first business. I don’t know that much.”

Lyu and supportive customers spoke at a village board meeting in January about concerns over what they said were a leaky roof and faulty heating and water systems. The restaurant had to close some days in the winter because it would be too cold for workers in the kitchen. Lyu has been able to fix the heater temporarily but said she cannot afford to completely replace the system.

“The walk-in cooler was even warmer than the kitchen,” Lyu said.

The person cited in village documents at the owner of the building, Paul Kondraros, could not be reached for comment. The village sent him four notices about heat violations in January and February of this year that included three fines of $750 each, according to village documents. Fox River Grove’s village code requires landlords to provide heat at a minimum 65 degrees for workspaces and 68 degrees for residential buildings.

Lyu came to the United States from China in 2019 with her dream of owning a sushi restaurant. With a staff of four and some help from her friends on the weekends, Lyu built up a restaurant known and beloved for its creatively presented fresh sushi rolls.

“So I’m the manager, owner and waitress,” she said. “I spend most of my day working the restaurant because I love it.”

Despite her struggles, Lyu said she fell in love with the Fox River Grove community. After her closure announcement, she was “surprised” by the community’s reaction. The last few weeks have been busy and she has been overwhelmed with supportive words, she said.

“It’s been a bittersweet experience because I didn’t realize how much of an impact I had on the community,” she said.

But this isn’t the end of Susie Sushi forever. Lyu said she is actively looking for new locations and asks for customers to spread the word that Susie Sushi will be open soon and to keep an eye out for updates.

“I don’t plan on staying out of business for long,” she said.