"Sunny Sushi re-opens after theft"

It's rare these days to see undeniable passion that can stand the test of time and hardship.

When I first went to Sunny Sushi (opening week years ago), it was clear that this place was different. Amazing food, passionate people and a great location. Sure signs for a successful business. I, along with all of my close friends, quickly became regular customers and, over the years, friends of Sonny. 

Sonny opened up to me early on and it was unbelievably clear that he was not in it for the money. This is an art and a passion for him, and he wakes up every day happy to be able to serve others. I hear a lot of people say this, but when it comes to Sonny, it's the truth.

Unfortunately, when Sonny opened, he signed a lease with a crooked sublease tenant. As his business grew, the rent would continuously go up, causing Sonny to have to lay off most of his waitstaff and help. Sonny acknowledges that it was a mistake on his part and has worked every single day Monday-Sunday for the past three years (virtually for free) to get out from under his 3-year lease.

Finally, Sonny's lease with the sublease tenant was up in October, 2015 and he was ready to sign a lease with the owner of the building. Unfortunately, when the tenant came to pick up his remaining items (a dishwasher and a few lights), he stole all of Sonny’s equipment (grill, hood, displays, cookware, etc).

Sonny got the authorities involved and was able to recover all of his equipment (which was found in a storage unit off of Carolina Beach Rd). Unfortunately, the cost to recover the equipment, repair the broken windows and install everything back into the restaurant was in the thousands.

Because of these costly repairs, Sonny had to shut down his business and has since been fighting to get back up and going. Sonny has worked out a very reasonable deal with the owner of the building and has the month of January to get back on his feet.

For those who have met Sonny, you know how much he loves what he does and how badly he deserves the opportunity to be successful. For those who have not had the chance to meet him, I ask that you take a chance, and when the time comes, it will be clear that he is not only exceptionally talented but also an outstanding individual who truly deserves a second chance.

If you have the ability to help with services rather than a financial donation we would very much appreciate the help.

This money will go towards the following:

$250 New Hanover County Health Department (permits once equipment is reinstalled)
$1800 Hood Installation (if you or anyone you know has the permits to do this we would love to talk)
$350 replace broken windows
$200 Transport stolen items back to Sunny (Hood, Grill, 2 Fryers, Cookware, Displays, Fridge)
$0 Installation of items - donated
$255 - Repair of Steemer/Cooler
$500 - Replace inventory 
$232 - Edwards Equipment

Anything over the goal will be going to help pay for the bills that have been stacking up from being closed.

$452.72 Cape Fear Public Authority
$298.22 Electric
$281.14 CocaCola