On December 31st, the Teppanyaki grill will be fired up for the last time in the “Fujiya of Japan” on Tessinerplatz – although business is going well.
Japanese specialties, prepared directly in front of the guests: The Teppanyaki grill is the specialty of the “Fujiya of Japan”.
“In the ‘Fujiya of Japan’ you can enjoy Far Eastern hospitality right in the center of Zurich” was once written on the flyers of the well-known Japanese restaurant on Tessinerplatz in Zurich. The flair: a bit eighties, a bit international business jet set, a bit exotic. Canadian lobster tail, Wagyu beef or tofu steak from the Teppanyaki grill were served.
Opened in 1989, it was one of the first Japanese restaurants in Switzerland. But this era is now over: the “Fujiya of Japan” at Enge train station closes on New Year’s Eve.
The restaurant is closing because the 65-year-old owner Christian Frei has not found a successor. What will be built instead of “Fujiya” on Tessinerplatz is not yet publicly known. Frei’s new tenant is currently in the process of submitting the building application for the renovation at Tessinerplatz, says the house owner Swiss Life when asked.
In addition to the “Fujiya” contract with Swiss Life, rental agreements for office space in the same building are also expiring. This will then “be given various commercial uses,” writes Swiss Life.
Closure despite good business
Business at “Fujiya” is going well, says owner Frei. You have loyal regular customers and benefit from the fact that Japanese cuisine is becoming increasingly popular. “It’s astonishing how much our customers know about Japanese cuisine today,” says operator Christian Frei. “You don’t have to explain to anyone what wakame is.”
Despite this boom, there was no restaurateur who wanted to buy the “Fujiya”. He did have conversations, says Frei. «But our concept is very specialized. That doesn’t suit every company.” Frei’s children, some of whom work at “Fujiya”, do not want to continue running the business because of the heavy workload.
The Segmüller restaurant group also does not want to take over the “Fujiya”. These include the “Carlton”, the “Roof Garden” and the “Bottega di Mario”. The Segmüller Group has a marketing partnership with the “Fujiya of Japan”. Taking over the business is still out of the question, says head of purchasing Christian Weber. The Segmüller Group specializes in French cuisine and high-quality comfort food. “The ‘Fujiya’ doesn’t fit our portfolio.”
Sushi on Sechseläutenplatz
The “Fujiya of Japan” is one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in the city. The owner Christian Frei can say exactly when Japanese cuisine began to boom in Zurich: In 1993, a tent was set up on Sechseläutenplatz in which sushi was offered for a few weeks. “Chefs were flown in from Japan and prepared sushi on site,” remembers Frei. «The tent was a huge hit. After that, everyone knew what Japanese cuisine was.”
The sushi tent was followed by the sushi tram and finally more and more Japanese restaurants. The “Fujiya of Japan” had been around for almost five years.
Before the doors of “Fujiya” close, the owner Frei will spend New Year’s Eve in the restaurant. “A few days after the closure, we’ll make teppanyaki again for the whole team,” says Frei. There is a team favorite dish: scrambled eggs and spaghetti.
Meanwhile, the Fujiya of Japan brand may continue to operate after New Year’s Eve. Corresponding discussions are currently underway, says operator Christian Frei.
