Kabuki Sushi closes; ‘several interested parties’ looking at Bluebonnet building

Tony Lu bought the building at 5454 Bluebonnet Blvd. that formerly housed Primo’s Steak & Italian Restaurant about 14 months ago and, after completely renovating it, opened Kabuki Sushi and Japanese Steakhouse there. He last opened its doors for business on New Year’s Eve, closing them for good the following day. “I’m analyzing what I did wrong,” says Lu, who also owns Royal Panda Chinese Buffet & Sushi Bar in Lafayette. Lu says he’s not sure if economic conditions just weren’t right for opening a new restaurant in Baton Rouge in late 2011, but his venture into the Capital Region never quite took off. If he were to open another restaurant in Baton Rouge, Lu says, he’d probably choose a smaller space. “Work is in my blood,” he says. “I don’t sit around and do nothing.” George Kurz of Kurz & Hebert Commercial Real Estate says he had advised Lu against leasing the building, which, just less than 9,000 square feet, is a “bit large” for a restaurateur new to the area. Kurz says the typical restaurant space is between 5,500 square feet and 6,500 square feet. However, Lu moved in and added his own personal touches: custom mahogany millwork, sliding doors, etched glass and granite counters. “He did a first-rate job of renovating it,” Kurz says, which has drawn “several interested parties” to consider leasing the building. “These are people who are already established in business,” he says of the prospective tenants. —Adam Pearson