Kenko, the Japanese fast-food restaurant in downtown Kent, is set to close starting Dec. 11 due to changes in the store’s ownership. 

“We found out about the closing last week,” said Cameron Warner, an employee at Kenko. “Nobody knew, they told us straight up that it was permanently closing, and we were all in a little shock.” 

A sign on the store’s door announced the closing and said the restaurant will be closing Dec. 11 for renovations.  

Warner said the employees had an idea the owners wanted to sell the store, but they were not expecting it to come so soon. 

“It puts everyone in a panic,” Warner said. “It was such short notice and that feels a little unfair, so it’s not great at all, especially during Christmas time.” 

Warner has worked at Kenko for about two years and said she is going to miss seeing the people and regular customers who come into the restaurant. 

“I’m big on regulars and we have a lot of regulars,” Warner said. “Even just in the past few months I’ve been back, we’ve had quite a few of them and you get to learn their orders, so that sucks seeing them and having to tell them, it’s really hard.” 

Madison Margie, a freshman theater and psychology major, and her friend, Sammy Gingras, a freshman architecture major at Bowling Green State University, go to Kenko every time they are back home and were enjoying a last meal at the restaurant. 

“If we want sushi, there’s another place, but it’s 40 minutes away,” Margie said. “This one is nice because it is really close and it’s really good. I’m going to miss it.” 

Margie and Gingras said they did not know about the closure until they came to the restaurant and saw the sign on the door that announced the restaurant was closing. 

The employees at Kenko are now searching for jobs and Warner said for many of them, the search has not been successful. 

“It’s definitely been stressful for most people,” Warner said. “Everywhere seems completely staffed, and even places in Kent, like Rosie’s, have a sign up that says, ‘We do not need new employees’, so it’s not exactly the easiest thing right now.” 

Warner enjoys working in fast food and is sad to see the restaurant close because she had such a great time working there. 

“Everybody’s a little bit sad because it’s a decent job,” Warner said. “A lot of the customers and regulars were sad too when we told them. I’m going to miss the people here a lot.”  

The restaurant’s last day open will be Dec. 10 from noon – 8 p.m.

Adrianna Quinlan is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].