Food

What will happen to a now-closed Japanese restaurant in Myrtle Beach? Here’s what we know

Nakato Japanese Steakhouse in Myrtle Beach has been closed since 2023. It was recently sold to a new owner in April 2024.
Nakato Japanese Steakhouse in Myrtle Beach has been closed since 2023. It was recently sold to a new owner in April 2024. The Sun News

After closing in late 2023, a new venture has yet to open at the former location of Nakato Japanese Restaurant in Myrtle Beach.

The steak house served customers on the Grand Strand for nearly 50 years before a 2019 fire ultimately led the eatery to shutter in December 2023. Since then, the property has been sold to another Grand Strand restaurateur, but plans for the former Nakato’s location remain undecided.

According to Horry County Land Records, Nakato’s building at 9912 North Kings Highway 17 was sold in April 2024 for $1.3 million to the Conway S.C.-based Ichiban Sushi and Hibachi owners. In an Oct. 17, 2024, interview with The Sun News, Ichiban owner Jackie Zheng said that they bought the building and could open something at the former Nakato’s location but said he didn’t know if it would be a restaurant or not.

He also said that no decision had been made yet.

“We’re trying to put everything together,” Zheng added.

Ben Morse
The Sun News
Ben Morse is the Retail and Leisure Reporter for The Sun News. Morse covers local business and Coastal Carolina University football and was awarded third place in the 2023 South Carolina Press Association News Contest for sports beat reporting and second place for sports video in the all-daily division. Morse previously worked for The Island Packet, covering local government. Morse graduated from American University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and economics and is originally from Prospect, Kentucky.
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