Iowa City sushi bar Takanami to become Mexican restaurant

Downtown Iowa City sushi restaurant Takanami will close temporarily as its new owner changes it to serve Mexican fare.

Valentina Carrero, a recent University of Iowa graduate who acquired the restaurant last month, said Thursday she will close Takanami, 219 Iowa Ave., on July 28. In a Facebook post Thursday, Carrero said she plans to reopen the space on Aug. 2 as a Mexican, taco and tequila restaurant.

'As a young female Latina business owner, it has been my dream since I was born in Colombia to open my own Hispanic restaurant and I am excited to showcase the new restaurant to you all,” Carrero wrote in a Facebook post Thursday.

Takanami was previously owned by brother George and David Etre. The two also own Iowa Chop House, Formosa and El Patron in downtown Iowa City.

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