Newton's Central Restaurant To Become Sushi Restaurant

NEWTON, MA — The owner of the popular Central Cafe & Restaurant, which has been closed since March amid the coronavirus pandemic, told Patch she is planning to reopen the space as a completely different restaurant.

The Central in Newton Centre will become a premium sushi restaurant called SushiCo, said owner Joelle Tomb. The Boston Restaurant Talk blog was first to report that Central was shifting to a sushi restaurant.

The old sign on the outside of the building has been painted over in black and the crew will paint "SushiCo" sometime this week, she said. For the past few weeks, staff have been testing out menus. Tomb has not set an opening date.

"I can say we're very close," she said.

Tomb opened Central in 2016. It specialized in small plates and cocktails in an upscale environment. Two years later, when Peet's Coffee closed, a beloved barista came across the street and helped open a cafe in the mornings and afternoons at Central. Tomb recognized that it had become popular, too, but given the pandemic, said that aspect of the business won't be returning any time soon.

"We've shifted around," Tomb said. "It was a time to reinvent ourselves given what's happening in the environment and adapt."

Central was among the many restaurants that shuttered temporarily in March amid the pandemic. And now, some six months later, it's one of the many restaurants taking a creative approach to reopening and staying in business.

She added that a premium sushi experience made sense to her.

"It fills a void in Newton," she said. "We don't have a dedicated sushi platform in Newton Centre."

Read more:

• Where One Peet's Closes Another Coffee Shop Opens
• How One Newton Centre Restaurant Is Surviving The Pandemic

Newton restaurant openings and closures:

• New Coffee Shop Opens In Newtonville
• Stacks Espresso Bar In Newton Highlands Closes
• Rox Diner Closes Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
• Newton Pizza Spot Closes For Good Amid ...
• Comedor Closes, Thistle & Leek To Open In Newton ...
• Lumière To Close In West Newton After 20 Years

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