Raku, a sushi bar and Asian fusion restaurant on Bethesda Row, reopened Aug. 13 with an updated dining room after closing in early March for renovations, according to co-owner Marcel The.
For months, the windows of the restaurant at 7240 Woodmont Ave. had been covered and signs were plastered to the front windows that said “Reopening this summer” as the work took place.
“With all the renovations done and everything, we’re just happy that we’re reopened,” The (pronounced “Tay”) told Moco360 on Thursday.
The said the goal of the renovations was to update the “outdated” décor and space to create a more comfortable dining experience for customers. The upgrades include new dining room decorations, lighting and furniture and more comfortable seating, he said.
Another new addition is a takeout/delivery window where customers and food delivery workers can pick up orders. The said he hopes the window will make the food pickup process easier for customers.
In addition to the dining room, the kitchen was upgraded with new equipment, as well as the sushi bar and drinking bar, The said.
Raku opened on Woodmont Avenue in 1997. In 2019, The told MoCo360 that one of the biggest complaints the restaurant received from customers was about table spacing and said he planned to reduce the number of seats in a future renovation.
As part of the renovations, the dining room now seats about 85 seats, compared to the 95 seats before the changes, according to The.
While the majority of the renovations are completed, The said he is waiting to finish one final project that will replace the restaurant’s exterior windows with those that can slide open.