Westport Asian restaurant relocating nearby, ‘adjusting to the COVID-19 environment’

After more than eight years in Westport, Sama Zama is relocating.

Owner Erika Koike, a native of Japan, said her lease is up and it was a mutual decision with her landlord not to renew it.

She plans to reopen at 3906 Central St. on Aug. 15.

“I am changing the business model, adjusting to the COVID-19 environment,” Koike said. “We could only have one table at a time and had to clean thoroughly after. The new location will be more focused on carryout but with a dining room and a patio.”

The new location also has more parking.

Koike originally opened One Bite Japanese Grill in 2007, in an Overland Park strip center tucked behind another shopping center. She moved to the more prominent location at 425 Westport Road after five years, opening the Sama Zama concept to focus on tapas. The restaurant serves home-style Japanese dishes, ramen and onigiri.

The landlord for the Westport Road space is in final negotiations for a new sushi restaurant that wants to open in September.