The owners of a popular Howard County sushi spot are bringing a new restaurant to Hampden’s Avenue.

Tina and Danny Chen will launch Hana at 1103 W. 36th St., according to general manager Andrew Liang. The last tenant, Souvlaki, was evicted from the address months ago.

For the Chens, who run Yama Sushi in Ellicott City’s Dorsey Search Village Center, “it was always their dream to continue to expand and grow,” Liang said. Their restaurant has no connection to Yama Sushi Bar on West 41st Street in Hampden.

At Hana, said Liang, the goal is to “take the things that made Yama special and turn it up to 11.” Liang said it may be the first in Maryland to use an authentic robata grill like ones used in Japan to barbecue skewers of meat. The restaurant will also feature an extensive sake program.

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Like Yama in Ellicott City, Hana will source its fish from the area’s top seafood purveyors. “We really do use the same quality fish as Azumi, as Nobu, as Nakazawa,” Liang said, referring to the high-end sushi restaurants in Baltimore and beyond. “We buy only whole fish, and we butcher everything in front of everybody.”

The new eatery received its liquor license at a hearing Thursday, one final step towards opening in Baltimore’s notoriously challenging permitting process. “We’re off to the races,” Liang said. They even have an opening date set: Dec. 19.

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The space’s previous tenant, Greek eatery Souvlaki, shut its doors earlier this year. Restaurant owner Dimitrios Taramas had hoped for a comeback, even announcing a series of crowdfunding campaigns to make it happen. But those efforts failed. Souvlaki’s three branches in Baltimore are all now closed.

The address had been Philly’s Best Pizza and Subs before Souvlaki took over in 2022, expanding its footprint from a tiny carryout next door. Both properties, along with the neighboring Golden West space, are owned by Baltimore developer Jeremy Landsman.

Liang said the owners of Hana intend to honor the legacy of Souvlaki when they open. “The community owns a piece of this,” he said of the building. “We want to celebrate that.”