Sunny’s Korean Restaurant in Mishawaka switching to retail

MISHAWAKA, Ind. (WNDU) - Sunny’s Korean Restaurant is serving some of its final customers with plans to close the restaurant after Saturday night’s service.

While these flavors will no longer be available for diners, Sunny fans can still take them home to their own kitchens.

Last month, Sunny Kaminski, the owner of the business, previously joined 16 News Now on our Sunday Morning Spotlight to highlight the various sauces, seasonings, and dressings you can find in Michiana grocery stores. On Friday, our own Jack Springgate sat down with the business-savvy Sunny to talk about the journey from restaurant to retail.

It’s not necessarily a goodbye, but it is the end of an era as three decades of business come to a close at this hole-in-the-wall in Mishawaka. It’s where many customers were first introduced to Korean cuisine, bringing one guest all the way up from Syracuse to get one last bite!

“I love Korean food, and Sunny’s is like the gold standard that I measure everything else by,” said John Pressler, a Sunny’s fan.

“A lot of people never knew it was here because it’s so tucked away, but it will be sad we can’t tell them about it anymore,” said Jess Hohulin, a Sunny’s regular. “I would say this is the epitome of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurant that you’re ever going to find, so it’s sad that it’s closing, but we’re also super excited for her next venture.”

That being these sauces she’s spent the past 27 years perfecting.

“One lady, she took one bite, and she goes, ‘Sunny, you have to bottle this,’” Sunny recalled. “That’s how I started. That’s how she gave me the idea. It took me 27 years to produce it a much better way.”

That’s what she’ll be doing full-time after this Saturday so she can keep shelves at local grocery stores stocked with this absolute must-have for home chefs. She’s making it possible to recreate some of her clientele’s favorite dishes in the comfort of their own homes by sharing her recipes online. A sign of appreciation for all her loyal customers.

“A lot of them have been here 31 years with us, and some of them still come every week. Honestly, yeah,” Sunny told 16 News Now.

While her cooking will truly be missed, it’s the everyday human connections that Sunny says will be the hardest to leave behind.

“It’s been such a pleasure with all these customers’ support. I couldn’t thank them enough,” Sunny finished, tearing up.

As for the final Saturday service, the restaurant is already completely booked. However, the legacy lives on at Martin’s and Whole Foods stores in Michiana, and you can even order the products online at Amazon.

While you’ll no longer be able to try some of Sunny’s fresh cooking, you can try out some of her recipes for yourself by heading to her website. Sunny released all her recipes there and even says she plans on releasing a cookbook.

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