HOUSTON — A man who played a big part in bringing sushi to Houston has died.
Family members confirmed to KHOU 11 News that Glen Gondo, 75, died Monday after a battle with cancer.
In 1984, Gondo opened a Japanese sushi restaurant in Houston. He later became the president of Tokyo Gardens Catering.
He went on to bring freshly made Sushiya Sushi to more than 300 H-E-B stories. The first Sushiya bar went into the Friendswood store over 20 years ago.
I was apprehensive (about) a sushi bar in a grocery store,” Gondo told KHOU 11 News last year. “When it first opened up, I couldn’t believe (it).”
Now decades later, the company has 400 sushi bars and offers catering to colleges, hospitals, corporations and more.
In 2023, Gondo was appointed to the City of Houston's inaugural Asian-American and Pacific Islander Advisory Board.
KHOU 11's Shern-Min Chow posted about Gondo's passing Wednesday.
Former mayor Sylvester Turner also paid his respects to Gondo on X, calling him a "Japanese Houston community trailblazer."
"I was grateful for his support and friendship during my time as Mayor and honored that he accepted to be one of the inaugural members of the AAPI Board," Turner said in the post. "I know Glen Gondo’s legacy will continue to live on thanks to his kindness, dedication, and love of all people."