Authentic Korean Restaurant Namsan Closes After 8 Years as Rising Costs Make Family Business Unaffordable

Family-Owned Namsan Korean Restaurant Announces May 31 Closure as Shipping Costs and Rent Increases Crush Margins

*KALAMAZOO, Mich.* — Another local business is shutting its doors for good after eight years of serving the community. Namsan Korean Restaurant announced on their website that their final day of service will be May 31, 2026.

After many wonderful years serving our community, we've decided it's time to retire and close this chapter. Our final day of service will be May 31. Whether you've been with us since day one or stopped by just once, we appreciate every guest who has supported our family-run restaurant. From everyone at Namsan, thank you!

The announcement comes from the owners who have operated the authentic Korean restaurant since 2018. The establishment sits at the corner of South Westnedge Avenue and Maple Street, a neighborhood staple for those seeking genuine Korean cuisine.

News Channel 3 spoke with Sunny Kwon, one of the restaurant's owners, on Friday. She explained that rising costs have made it impossible to continue the business without cutting into her own livelihood.

Costs have become unaffordable across the board because of the economy, most notably shipping costs. The authentic restaurant's fresh food is delivered on a truck from Chicago, which has gone up in price.

Additionally, the landlord has raised rent significantly. When the family opened in 2018, rent was $2,500 per month. As of January this year, that cost increased to $4,500 — a roughly 45% jump.

Rising costs were not the only issue. Kwon said the building itself is old and needs repairs. The family has attempted to make some repairs out of pocket, but they simply cannot afford all the work needed.

The only way, the she said, to deal with how unaffordable it has become to run their business would have been to raise prices on the menu — something Kwon said they would not do to their customers.

The restaurant has no plans to reopen another location in the future. Kwon stated there are no plans to continue operating Namsan beyond May 31.

This closure represents yet another business struggling in Kalamazoo's restaurant sector, where rising operational costs and economic pressures are forcing long-standing establishments to close their doors.