Duo Profits from Sushi Craze

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Yossi Percia

An area that was once just a curious interest has led two energetic Israelis to build a thriving business.

Shneor Harel and Chaim Lifshitz met while they were learning in Chabad Yeshivos in Israel and found a common interest (and taste) in Japanese cuisine.

It was years later, when the two found themselves in New York, that they acted upon what they felt was “under representation in the kosher market,” Lifshitz says.

“We took it upon ourselves to merge our passion for sushi in its traditional Eastern form and our adherence to the Jewish faith,” he says about the opening of Sushi Tokyo on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn.

The road to financial success was not immediate and involved hard work and dedication. But it was the time they spent working their way up from the bottom of the restaurant industry that gave them an opportunity to learn the business.

“Learning from the mistakes of others is a true sign of growth and enabled us to smoothly transition from employees to employers,” Lifshitz says. “We always felt that you have to find your niche in business and do it well.”

When they opened their store in 2008 between Avenues J and K, they say, Kosher sushi was not as common as it is today.

“Our knowledge of both the Jewish community and the secular sushi market gave us great insight and lit the path for success in our venture,” Lifshitz says.

Now the two are opening a second branch in another coveted Jewish hot spot – the Five Towns in Long Island.

The opening of the new store on Central Avenue in Lawrence took place this Sunday and was already filled with eager, hungry and yes, curious, customers.

“While Kosher sushi has grown in popularity in the Jewish community, we feel our unique take on the cuisine, coupled with our insistence on using only the freshest ingredients, sets us apart from others in the market,” Harel points out.