Long-standing SF Sushi Spot 'We Be Sushi' is Closing
The popular San Francisco sushi spot We Be Sushi is closing down. The closure marks the end of an era for the long-standing restaurant, which was well-known in its neighborhood.
After a nearly 40-year run, We Be Sushi's last location at 538 Valencia Street closed its doors on February 13, 2026. The closure marks the retirement of its 76-year-old chef and owner, Andy Tonozuka, who expressed a sense of relief after decades of service in the Mission District. Before establishing his San Francisco staple, Tonozuka trained as a sushi chef in Tokyo's National Diet Building, serving government officials, including prime ministers. He later moved to New York in the mid-1970s and worked at Hatsuhana in Manhattan, which became the first Japanese restaurant to receive a four-star review from the New York Times. Tonozuka arrived in San Francisco in 1984 and opened the first We Be Sushi in 1987. The restaurant's name has a unique origin story. Tonozuka initially planned to call it "McSushi," but a cease-and-desist letter from McDonald's arrived two weeks before the grand opening. In response, he posted the letter on the window and invited the community to suggest a new name. "We Be Sushi" was the winning entry out of roughly 200 submissions. At its zenith, We Be Sushi expanded to five locations across San Francisco. The original restaurant, located at 1071 Valencia St., closed in 2024 due to a decline in business and Tonozuka's health issues, including sciatic nerve pain. The 538 Valencia Street location, which opened in 1996, was the last to close. Tonozuka's goal was to make sushi as approachable and familiar to Americans as the hamburger, with a motto of "reasonable, delicious, & filling." Over the years, the restaurant became a beloved neighborhood institution, with Tonozuka fondly recalling the many families and children, whom he called "We Be Babies," that frequented the establishment. Even after closing, Tonozuka returned to the empty restaurant to fulfill one last catering commitment he had made weeks prior. While he is unsure of his exact plans for retirement, he has expressed a desire to do "something good for society." He leaves behind a legacy as a cherished part of the Mission's culinary landscape.
