Austin-based Hai Hospitality, the restaurant group home to James Beard Award-winning Uchi, Uchiko, Uchibā, and Loro Asian Smokehouse and Bar, announced plans to open their original concept Uchi in West Hollywood at 9001 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood. The opening is slated for 2023 and will be the sixth location for Uchi, which has restaurants in Austin, Houston, Dallas, Denver, and Miami. Founder and Executive Chef Tyson Cole opened Uchi in Austin in 2003 to wide acclaim with his signature nontraditional take on Japanese food.
“When we first opened Uchi there were more than a few raised eyebrows about a Japanese fine-dining concept in Austin, a landlocked city known for tacos and barbecue,” says founder and Executive Chef Tyson Cole. “Cut to twenty years later and we are launching in a city known for its dynamic dining scene with no shortage of world-class Japanese concepts. I am really honored to bring Uchi to L.A.”
Uchi Los Angeles marks a significant growth period for Hai Hospitality, setting the stage for the strategic expansion of the four concepts in the Hai family of restaurants.
“Opening Uchi in Los Angeles signals an incredibly exciting time for Hai, especially after the great reception we received when we opened in Miami in 2021. To have concepts on both coasts represents an incredible moment for our group and our growth,” says Hai Hospitality CEO Tony Montero.
The West Hollywood Uchi will open on Santa Monica Boulevard on the first floor of ‘Nine Thousand One,’ a mixed-use retail and residential building developed by GPI Companies. The location is at the nexus of where West Hollywood meets Beverly Hills and is a stone’s throw from neighborhood icons Dan Tana’s and the Troubadour. The space, built on the footprint of the former location of The Palm, will be designed by LA arts district-based Ora design and architectural studios with a projected capacity of approximately 180 people, including 30 outdoor seats.
