How Sunny came to be — and the family behind every scoop.
Why "Sunny"?
Because it captures the whole feeling of the place — warm, bright, and happy. Sunny is the sweet, sunshiny finish to the meal: where the family's restaurants bring people to the table, Sunny sends them off with a smile.
And it's personal. Sunny is named for Sun Mi — "Sunnie" — the wife, mother, and co-founder at the heart of our family. The name fit the place as perfectly as it fits her.
The promise is simple: every scoop is a taste of sunshine, handcrafted with love.
Sunny was created by Jimmy & Sun Mi Tanaka, the husband-and-wife team behind LJ Hospitality Group. They believe hospitality is a craft — that a small, focused idea done with real care is worth more than a big one done halfway.
That belief runs through everything the family makes: Korean rotisserie at Koquio — literally next door, in the very same building here in Duluth — Japanese donkatsu at Kisoya in Suwanee, and the sweetest stop of all, Sunny. Finish dinner at Koquio, take a few steps, and come find us for dessert.
It's all part of the legacy the Tanakas are building for their family — made with the kind of heart and care that, as Jimmy likes to say, no one can copy.
Sunshine, smiles, and happy little moments — Sunny is the joyful corner of the family.
House recipes, small-batch care, real ingredients. We make it the harder way on purpose.
Delightful for kids and grown-ups alike — every scoop is better with someone.
— Jimmy & Sunnie