Edinburgh restaurant owner 'fears for business' as popular venues close their doors

Pheo, 22, has worked at the restaurant for a few months
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


An Edinburgh business owner has spoken of changes she has made to her restaurant due to her worries over the current business climate.

The manager of Sushiya on Dalry Road, said she was "shocked" to hear of popular local businesses closing throughout the capital - including KORA and Umai.

She is hoping people will continue to shop local so her business can keep running and she will not have to let her staff go.

READ MORE: 'End of an era' as Edinburgh chip shop put up for sale after more than 80 years

READ MORE: Three Edinburgh schools to remain closed as inspections take place after Storm Eowyn

ADVERTISEMENT

Speaking to Edinburgh Live, the manager said: "It is really worrying, I really do feel scared about the economic climate and how local businesses will end up.

"When Umai closed down, I was honestly so shocked. We are neighbours so I could see through their windows and they always looked so busy.

Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages

"My main concern is my staff. The economy really isn't good right now. All we want is to keep our staff and make sure they always have hours - I would never want to cut those and make them worry.

"Supporting local is so important - I would personally always shop or eat local rather than going to chains. We use local salmon in our dishes and we would just really appreciate it if the customers could support us too.

ADVERTISEMENT

"If they eat locally, it means they are eating ingredients locally and it's better all round."

Sushiya first opened back in 2023 and was originally named as Miju. After a year of business, Carmen decided to switch things up to "make a difference for their future."

Sushiya, Dalry Road
Sushiya, Dalry Road

She changed the restaurant name, their menu and wanted to make sure they had a strong focus on sushi going forward.

She added: "We have a Japanese chef with more than 20 years experience so we will be focusing on providing the most authentic Japanese food for Edinburgh with a refreshed menu for locals.

Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox

""When we first started Miju, we wanted to create a unique dining experience. Our regulars would sometimes come in and realise they had tried everything on the menu and we wanted to make sure we always had something new and create something new for them.

ADVERTISEMENT

"We were doing well and had a lot of people coming but I soon started to get nervous and decided to focus on the fact people love our sushi.

"We just really want to bond with our customers and hope we will be able to do so for some time."

You can find out more about Sushiya here.