Photo by FranHogan via Wikimedia Commons
A grandson’s viral TikTok video has rescued his grandfather’s sushi restaurant from financial ruin, Dallas News reports.
Sushiya, a small sushi restaurant located in Dallas, was once booming with business. Ever since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been near-empty according to Dallas News.
Kang Lee is an 80-year-old man who has owned and worked at the restaurant for 18 years, according to iHeartRadio. Lee wanted to retire so that he could have more time to care for his wife.
“Before the pandemic, there was regular business, and we were happy,” Lee told WFAA. “Now, there’s hardly any business.”
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Lee’s grandson Minnesota high schooler Andrew Kim saw how dire the situation was when he visited in March.
“It was really sad because you look up to your grandparents, and to see them struggle is really disheartening,” Kim told Dallas News.
To increase business in his grandfather’s restaurant, Kim decided to make a 15-second TikTok asking people to support Sushiya. Within a few hours, the video began to increasingly gain likes and views. The video currently has about 6 million views and almost 2 million likes.
The video was even reposted to Facebook in a group that supports small businesses, according to Dallas Observer. Soon, more and more people began dining at Sushiya. Waiting lines began to extend beyond the door.
“It’s been a different crowd than we’re used to,” Junok Kim told Dallas News. “It’s groups of people coming in and a lot of young people, but everyone is so kind and so nice.”
Sushiya’s location and hours are as follows:
1306 Elm St. (Downtown). Open 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 5 – 8:30 p.m. Monday – Friday, 5 – 8:30 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday
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