Tacoma restaurants buzzing with openings, closings and a big move. What to know

From a hot pot chain’s South Sound debut to a beloved cafe’s forced farewell, Tacoma and Pierce County’s dining landscape has seen some shakeups in April. Here’s a roundup of the biggest restaurant news.

Here are key takeaways:

• Happy Lamb Hot Pot opened at Tacoma Mall on April 20, bringing the first South Sound location of the Mongolian-inspired chain to the mall’s new “Village” development. The restaurant, known for its 6-hour bone broth, has 100-plus locations worldwide and offers a la carte or all-you-can-eat options.

• Lizzie Lou’s Too will close May 2 after 12 years inside the Harley-Davidson dealership in Fife. Owner Warnessa Victorian said the family-owned dealership was recently sold to a company that decided “to go in a different direction and not keep us.” She is searching for a new storefront in Pierce County.

• Wooden City closed its Pacific Avenue location April 14 and is transitioning to a much larger space at 1102 Broadway, expanding from about 65 seats to around 160. Owners anticipate opening by the end of the month.

• Katsu Burger quietly opened at 2805 6th Ave., marking the Seattle-based chain’s first Tacoma location. The tonkatsu-inspired burger restaurant is its ninth Washington location.

• Gather Juice Co. reopened at 2612 6th Ave. roughly four months after abruptly closing. A regular-turned-friend, Clayton Bray, partnered with owners Sean and Gretchen Doyel to revive the cold-pressed juice shop.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.