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October 11, 2016
A popular downtown Houma restaurant is springing back to life after closing its doors over the summer.
Samurai Dragon, a Japanese restaurant featuring sushi and hibachi, is slated to reopen later this month or next, according to owner Steve Lane. Lane said once he is finished getting the location re-inspected and approved he will start welcoming customers again.
The restaurant had been at the corner of Main Street and Lafayette Street for the past 13 years. Lane closed down the eatery in June following declining profits due to the economic downturn and limited foot traffic downtown. However, constant customer feedback motivated him to bring the sushi staple back to its familiar location.
“I couldn’t go anywhere around town without somebody asking me about Samurai Dragon. ‘Why’d you close? When are y’all going to open back up?’,” Lane said.
In the meantime, Lane had opened up a Mexican restaurant, Tequila Sunset, adjacent to the Samurai Dragon building on Lafayette. Lane said he hopes bringing back the popular sushi restaurant will increase attention to his new venture, as well.
Lane started gauging a comeback of Samurai Dragon only a few months after shutting down. An Aug. 2 post on the restaurant’s Facebook page asked fans how they would feel about a reopening, and supporters responded in kind. The post has received more than 100 comments and almost 700 shares as those around the Bayou Region clamored for its return. By Oct. 1, Lane made an official announcement on Samurai Dragon’s Facebook page that a return is imminent.
While Lane does not have a concrete date for reopening yet, he said the restaurant will do things a bit differently this time to ensure survival as the local economy continues to lag. Lane said he is revamping the restaurant’s floor to provide a new environment for local eaters. As far as keeping customers coming back while purse strings tighten up with low oil prices, Lane said he is going to put a larger emphasis on the hibachi grills at Samurai Dragon. According to him, shifting the focus to the crowd- and stomach-pleasing performance will make Samurai Dragon a lively nightlife spot in Houma once again.
“The last few months we were open we actually didn’t have any hibachi chefs. And hibachi is a big attraction for the customers, so I’m going to make sure we focus on that,” Lane said. •
