A popular Richland sushi restaurant is for sale.

BK Hong and Yoori Nah are selling Ara Sushi & Grill. Their traditional Japanese and Korean restaurant is at 430 George Washington Way, Suite 430, on the top floor of the Riverwalk Shopping District building and was listed in September.

The restaurant posts an annual net profit of $243,000 and is listed for $470,000.

The couple plan to open other businesses and need to sell the restaurant to free up capital and concentrate on other ventures, according to their MLS listing.

This doesn’t tell the full story. Nah and Hong are both from Korea and met in 2019 on a blind date.

Nah was, and still is, a dental hygienist, and Hong was a restaurant manager. Like many other couples, they had to cancel their wedding due to the pandemic.

Though they intend to sell Ara Sushi, they plan to stay in the area.

“I met my wife. Now I have two lovely kids and three dogs,” Hong said. “We love Tri-Cities so much. I think it is good and beautiful rural-feeling city to raise kids and have a great retirement life.”

Hong works nights and weekends. While they are living their dream, they said they need a change of pace. The couple plans on finally being able to have a wedding.

Due to some health issues, Nah’s family is unable to travel by air so she said it would be nice for her parents to meet their grandchildren.

“We haven’t had any family time,” Nah said. “We haven’t even been able to go on any family trips. Family time and then we’ll move on to the next project.”

The couple opened their restaurant in February 2021, after relocating from the west side, where Hong was a restaurant manager for five years with hopes of opening an establishment to call his own.

They had trouble finding an affordable place near Kirkland during the pandemic. Nah happened to stumble upon their current building’s listing and convinced her husband to check out the area.

“He instantly saw the vision of the restaurant in this location,” Nah said. “The people in Tri-Cities are amazing. They are so relaxed and very polite, and we love the weather.”

Their menu features everything from sushi rolls and sashimi to traditional dishes such as bibimbap, bulgogi and pork katsu. They also have a selection of sake, beer and wine.

The 2,294-square-foot restaurant has a capacity of 49, including a patio area for additional seating and private events. They have 10 full-time employees and two part-time workers.

Prior to Ara Sushi, the building was home to The Landing Bistro and Lounge, Fox and Bear Public House and Katya’s Bistro & Wine Bar.

With an expanding urban area between Comstock Street and Bradley Boulevard, including new apartments under construction, Nah and Hong expect to see an increase in foot traffic.

“It’s a growing area,” Nah said. “The new owners will be very busy.”

The sale includes Ara Sushi’s trademark, phone number and all operational assets such as equipment, tables, security cameras and audio equipment. It has a 4.8 Google review rating with more than 300 reviews.

The restaurant’s annual gross income is $927,000, with $684,000 in operating expenses, according to their listing. The couple don’t own the building, so the potential buyer would take over the lease that ends in February 2031 with a monthly rent of $4,664.

It is co-listed with Kristine Connolly of Coldwell Banker Tomlinson, and Alex Duff of eXp Commercial on the west side of the state.

Connolly can be contacted at [email protected] or via phone at 509-440-0090. Duff can be reached at [email protected] or 206-604-7440. Go to: commercialmls.com/Search/listingdetailsfull/671689.

Ara Sushi remains open and continues to operate as normal. Go to: arasushigrill.square.site.