RIP To A True Worcester Icon Sakura Tokyo
WORCESTER — Sakura Tokyo will be gone forever soon, as prospective redevelopers of the land have received approval to build a gas station, convenience store, and Dunkin’ Donuts with a drive-thru at the property.
Branded Realty Group, LLC, has not officially purchased the property at 640 Park Ave. yet, but got approval from the Planning Board on Sept. 7 to demolish the existing restaurant and replace it with two structures – the gas station and convenience store, as well as a retail-use structure.
Sakura Tokyo has been open since 1991, and serves food grilled hibachi style with live music and entertainment.
Sad, sad day. The great city of Worcester is losing an all timer and as I think the only Worcester native on this site, it needs a proper send off. What a magical place Sakura Tokyo is. In 2016 these habachi style restaurants are no big deal, but growing up in Worcester Sakura Tokyo was the place to go when you wanted to ball out but were living on a budget. If your first date routine as a teen didn’t involve the magic of Sakura Tokyo then you most definitely played it wrong. What a great place to go and pregame before a dance, but also versatile enough that you could go there with your family. The atmosphere is what I would call electric
You want to talk about versatility? Sakura Tokyo has it, just walk to the right and boom, now your in a 5 star musical venue for the greatest live music Worcester has to offer.
Also where else could you get that kind of show and get absolutely wasted in high school on scorpion bowls and mai tais? Then once it’s time to sit down then the show really began. Who didn’t love that onion volcano growing up?
The food always incredible, you look to your left you see some asshole family and you look to your right and you’re sitting next to someone’s grandmother, just a wild dynamic. Not to mention they had fantastic chocolate ice cream to top it all off.
So it pains me deeply to see such an iconic place of my childhood get replaced with a gas station and a damn Dunkin Donuts. That hurts.
RIP sweet prince.
P.S
Best part about Sakura Tokyo was that it was next to Skylite which happened to be the greatest roller skating/laser tag of all time. But you know what, looking back..why the hell were we allowed to go to a place that looks like this? Yeesh.