Tony Lu bought the building that formerly housed Primo’s Steak & Italian Restaurant at 5454 Bluebonnet Blvd. 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. Several interested parties are already looking into leasing the building.
The closure came shortly after another area sushi restaurant—Sake Café—shuttered after nearly four years of business outside the Mall of Louisiana. The Louisiana-based Japanese restaurant company maintains three other locations in Kenner, Metairie and Harahan.
