Lu's Sushi and Chinese opens in Wheaton

WHEATON – In only 3.5 years, Lu's Sushi and Chinese restaurant went from a relatively unknown eatery to one of Glen Ellyn's favorite spots, often packing its 7,500-square-foot space.

Then, it abruptly closed in late June when its lease was terminated.

It opened earlier this month in Wheaton, and old and new patrons alike are flocking to the location.

After months of work and a total overhaul of what was once a Qdoba, the restaurant at 2001 S. Naperville Road was unveiled for a soft opening Sept. 25.

"We didn't send out any emails, we didn't send out any fliers, we just turned on the open sign," said Owner Joyce Lu of Bolingbrook. "But we were shocked, it was so busy."

Lu, who shares ownership with her sister Ping Lu, said despite it's being a smaller space, the Wheaton location was a fit. It's only five minutes from their old storefront, ensuring the 3,000-plus members of the restaurant's email list could still patronize the establishment.

Joyce said the restaurant's menu features a full range of Chinese dishes with high-quality ingredients and techniques, including in-house pulled noodles. Fresh fish is ordered daily for the traditional sushi offerings.

All are carefully arranged to look as good as they taste, she said.

"If you go to China, presentation is very, very important," she said.

That commitment to uncompromising quality for a fair price is what has kept customers coming back. To ease the transition, Joyce had all calls to the restaurant's number forwarded to her personal cell phone, answering dozens of inquiries about when the new location was opening.

The extra work spent making sure customers knew they weren't forgotten wasn't just good business, Joyce said. It was a way to say "thank you" to those loyal enough to care.

"I feel like my regular customers are like a family," she said. "They were very happy for us. To tell you the truth, I almost wanted to quit when we closed that one, because it was so hard and we put so much effort in the old one. ... But now I think it was a good decision to open here."

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Know more

For more information on Lu's Sushi and Chinese, call 630-858-8889 or 630-858-2006, or visit www.lussushiandchinese.com.