There are some exciting changes afoot for downtown Missoula's dining scene.
It turns out that Sushi Hana isn't closing permanently at all, but rather moving into the current Scotty's Table restaurant location below the Wilma Theater. But that means that Scotty's Table is ending its long run in Missoula for good.
Scotty's Table owners Katie and Scott Gill are selling their restaurant space real estate to Sushi Hana owners Yuriko and Floyd Hagen.
Over the next few months, Sushi Hana will be moving into the space and will reopen with a revamped menu, rebranded as simply "Hana."
The Gills have been looking to sell for quite a while, and Yuriko Hagen said the Scotty's Table spot, which looks out at Caras Park, has long been her "dream location" in Missoula.
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"I've been a big fan of Scotty's Table and I've been a regular customer for a long, long time," she said on Friday afternoon, sitting at a sunlit table in what will become her new venture.
Both restaurants operate under the "we're all a big family" style, and both places have employees that have worked there for many years, even decades.
"We really wanted to find people that were like-minded and that were connected to the community," Katie Gill explained. "We're a family-run business, and we were looking for a similar, chef-driven, family-run sort of situation."
Kenta Nishimori, Sushi Hana's general manager and executive chef, said he moved to Montana from Japan to be near family and called around to various sushi restaurants to get a job. When Yuriko called him back, he was ecstatic because they're both from Japan and they had an instant connection.
He and the staff at Sushi Hana are excited to create a new menu for "Hana" and to work in a much bigger kitchen.
"It's a new chapter for Sushi Hana," Nishimori said. "It's like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly."
They've got exciting special events planned, and hope to be open by March 1.
"We are working on a new menu, and we will level up our sushi level," Yuriko said. "I'm so excited about all the techniques from Kenta. He is such a great chef. And he's not just sushi. He can open our eyes to so many different things and change menus seasonally, that type of thing. So yeah, we are excited."
Katie and Scott Gill penned a statement together to share their thoughts on the transition, and they shared it with the Missoulian:
"Scotty's Table has always been about community," the couple wrote. "A place where people could gather to celebrate life's important moments, or just take a break from the pressures of life for a good meal. We have built a community with local farms and ranches, along with being an ally to other small businesses. We take pride in being a family run restaurant that set a standard for quality dining in Missoula."
They said they've operated out of their location on Higgins Avenue for the past 16 years. Before that, they operated Scotty's Table in a spot on the Hip Strip for about eight years.
"This fall we transitioned from traditional service to weekend brunch service and pre-arranged catering events," their letter continued. "We knew then that this would be a temporary adjustment while we considered the future of both Scotty's Table and our restaurant space. Our primary focus these last few months has been on finding a similarly community-minded replacement for Scotty's Table in our location."
They finally found the perfect new owners for the spot.
"Yuriko and Floyd, owners of Sushi Hana, are two wonderful partners in the Missoula community, and we are honored to have them continue our legacy of a family run and community minded restaurant at the historic Wilma," the Gills wrote. "Sushi Hana continues to thrive, and we can't wait to see how successful they will be in this space."
The last brunch at Scotty's Table will be Dec. 29.
"In over twenty years of serving Missoula we have formed so many strong relationships," the Gills concluded. "Our commitment to excellence has been supported by the loyalty of our community. It has been our privilege to save a seat for you at Scotty's Table."
David Erickson is the business reporter for the Missoulian.
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