02/27/2024
When I was young, I used to really enjoy Beatle-adjacent British invasion bands (still do). One of those was a duo called Chad and Jeremy. Their biggest hit (they were even in an episode of the Adam West Batman show) was a balled called “A Summer Song.” you remember it, right? It had this sappy refrain that went like this:
They say that all good things must end someday
Autumn leaves must fall
But don't you know that it hurts me so to say goodbye to you?
Wish you didn't have to go
No, no, no, no
You probably already know where this is going. I never set out to open a ramen shop. But there we were. We were VERY busy. We all worked really hard over the summer and fall to refine the process and get things out faster to keep up with demand. We cooled down (like any new joint), but came rolling back over the holidays and through January. We made (make?) a lot of people very happy in that time. It always brought us a great joy to hear that it was your favorite spot. We also had our detractors. People who felt the need to give their unsolicited advice and “expert” opinions, but whatever. Who knew there were so many Ramen scholars out there on the Mississippi gulf coast? 😂
A lot has changed in the last year.
Somewhere back in the fall, my oldest lost the ability to walk, and it turned our lives upside down. Then she developed stomach ulcers and esophagitis. Because of the stress caused by some of her less than stellar peers, we are now considering alternative schooling options for her.
And Lennon, well, she’s still Lennon. 😅
Does this feel like a “it’s not you, it’s me” breakup? Is there anything wrong with Kaiteki? Nope. Sometimes, leadership means knowing when to walk away from something, and as a dad, I feel like it’s time to do that. It’s time to focus on what I started to do when I opened Radish two years ago. That was to explore upscale southern food and redefine what it means to meet and eat in the south.
Our last day will be Friday, March 8. Come stop by one more time in the interim and say hello again. Come have your favorite bowl or appetizer and hang out with us for a bit.
Let’s make it a good one, yes? Personally, I feel like Neil Young would want us to burn out, not fade away.
Until then, much love.
-Bill