Daruma of Tokyo, a beloved local staple, will remain open in Great Neck Plaza under new ownership.
The restaurant, located at 95 Middle Neck Road, has been open since 1985. On Wednesday, July 2, the village board of trustees granted a conditional-use permit under its new ownership.
“Daruma of Tokyo has been a very important part of our village for many, many years,” Trustee Michael DeLuccia said. “So, I am very happy the restaurant will continue.”
For fans of Daruma, the new ownership includes a familiar face.
Tom Yang, who worked at the restaurant for about 30 years and held the title of executive chef, bought the restaurant with his son, also named Tom. They negotiated the sale of the business with the family of the previous owner Yoshi Hirashima, who died in 2023.
The younger Yang attended the meeting and made it clear that things would not be overhauled under the new ownership.
“We’re not changing anything,” he said. “The menu’s the same, the prices are the same. We’re trying to continue the legacy of this restaurant.”
The son also said that they plan to renew the restaurant’s lapsed beer and wine permit, which was not transferred to them during the ownership change.
The older Tom Yang will run the kitchen as he has for a number of years. His son will step in and run the business aspects of the restaurant, something he said he has experience doing at other eateries locally and in Boston, Miami and Toronto.
Both said they plan to be at Daruma every day to keep an eye on things.
“There are a lot of people who are going to be very happy that [Daruma] will stay open,” Mayor Ted Rosen said.
In other news, two other conditional-use permits were granted at the meeting to new businesses coming to Great Neck Plaza.
The first was for a new martial arts gym at 3 Bond St., which previously housed a dance studio.
The business, which will be called Renzo Gracie Great Neck after the famous Brazilian martial artist, will offer classes to adults and children, said co-owner Colin Chiu.
Chiu said that he has previously run several similar gyms across the region.
He said the space will undergo some renovations, such as adding showers and lockers. He expects the business to open sometime in September.
The evening’s final approval was granted to Mikado Sushi, a small chain that operates six other restaurants throughout Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. The new location will open at 33 Middle Neck Road, where Poultry Mart was for more than 70 years before closing in 2022.
Steven Lin, the owner, said at the meeting that the space will need extensive work to convert it into a sushi restaurant. Changes will include adding a bar in the middle of the dining floor and an ADA-compliant bathroom.
Lin added that he will be applying for a beer and wine permit as well.
Mikado Sushi is slated to open by February 2026.
