Sushi Shack plans to rebrand as Las Olas Korean Barbecue
Restaurant closed in October to reopen after renovations
Capping a tumultuous year that saw several menu shifts, chef changes and a lawsuit brought by a former partner against the principal owner, Sushi Shack on Las Olas closed in October after a 13-month run. The restaurant plans to reopen and rebrand as Las Olas Korean BBQ following renovations that will include the installation of do-it-yourself grills, according to a post on Sushi Shack’s Facebook page.
“We are excited to announce our new cook-yourself Korean BBQ concept,” an Oct. 7 post said. “We will be closing a few weeks for minor renovation.”
Two months later, the status of the restaurant, at 1301 E. Las Olas Blvd., is unclear. Nobody was present and no work was being done on a recent weekday, and the restaurant’s interior looked unchanged. A sign on the front door touted a new Korean barbecue restaurant “coming soon.” The restaurant’s phone goes to a message that says the eatery is temporarily closed and will return as “Las Olas Korean Barbecue.” Owners Justin and Yeeling Lee, who have residences in South Florida and San Diego, could not be reached for comment.
Sushi Shack, at the former site of short-lived Fork & Balls from The Restaurant People, opened in September 2018 as a JapaneseAmerican concept with items such as burgers and wings besides sushi. Todd Wheatcraft, who had restaurant experience in Las Vegas and Arizona, was among the partners. But he was no longer involved a few months later, and in March 2019 he filed suit against the Lees. The restaurant continued to offer sushi and switched to a pan-Asian menu. Two chefs came and went before a Korean chef, Peter Park, was brought in this summer and started focusing on Korean fare such as bibimbaps (rice bowls) and sizzling bulgogi platters.
In an August review I wrote, “When a restaurant does this many flips in such a short time, it’s not a good sign … Justin and Yeeling Lee, a husband and wife from San Diego, thought they were going to be silent partners but they moved to Fort Lauderdale to take over day-to-day operations last year. Justin, from Korea, grew up around his family’s restaurant. Yeeling, a Malaysian-born attorney, has never been in the restaurant business before … I think they’re on the right track with the Korean revamp because there is no Korean restaurant on Las Olas and the dishes and flavors are good.”
The lawsuit is ongoing, with a November court filing by Wheatcraft’s attorney stating that Justin Lee skipped a court-ordered mediation session in September. Justin Lee’s first attorney withdrew from the case the following day, with a letter to the judge citing “an impasse reached in the handling of the case” with his client. Justin Lee has hired new lawyers, according to Broward court filings.