North Market Bridge Park restaurant Kintsugi Sushi Bar will close the end of the day Sunday.

On its Facebook page, the sushi restaurant said the decision to close was to ”free up bandwidth” for new endeavors.

“This is not the end of our journey, but the next step in it,” read the post. ”Sister restaurant @satoriramenbar will continue to provide a first-class ramen experience at @northmarketdowntown and we are diligently working behind the scenes on our next culinary endeavor.”

The restaurant, owned by chef Seigo Nishimura and his wife, Casey Cooper-Fenske, opened during the pandemic in January 2021.

Despite another recent closing — Black Radish Creamery, in May — North Market Executive Director and CEO Rick Harrison Wolfe said the market in July had its biggest sales volume month since opening in November 2020. The market, which has 15 tenants, plans to announce four new merchants "very soon," he said.

However, merchants are still facing challenges, including staffing.

“Labor is still a struggle with many, and also a handful that have closed were second locations, and the second is always the hardest. It truly gets easier after that,” said Wolfe.

The restaurant's owners did not provide further details about their next project, simply stating on social media that it would build upon the success of Kintsugi.

“It has been an honor and a joy to be part of the vibrant @northmarketbridgepark community," the restaurant posted. "We are so grateful for the loyal customers who made it possible to not only open Kintsugi Sushi Bar despite the COVID-19 pandemic but also to thrive in such unpredictable times."

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@TaijuanNichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Kintsugi Sushi Bar to close this weekend in Bridge Park