The Pearl Hospitality Group has acquired Izakaya Ko restaurant in Jacksonville Beach, according to its website.
The Japanese gastropub is at 1198 Beach Blvd., Unit 9, in front of Beach Plaza.
Izakaya Ko opened in June of 2024 by brothers Jimmy and Johnny Tung and Adi Wiriwan, the former head chef at Norikase, 9734 Deer Lake Court, Unit 11, in Tinseltown.
The Tung brothers replaced Bento Asian Kitchen with Izakaya Ko and are part of the Bento Group.
The Pearl Hospitality Group is part of the larger Bento Group that has restaurants throughout Florida.
Wiriwan will remain as head chef and plans to revamp the menu of sushi, yakitori and other Japanese small plates. The bar includes Asian beers and sakes. The bar menu will be refreshed as well.
Pearl Hospitality operates Norikase Japanese and Beachside Seafood, 120 Third St. S., Jacksonville Beach.
In Downtown Jacksonville, it intends to open Norikawa in the One Riverside retail and apartment development in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
Izakaya Ko seats 60 and has a 10-seat sushi bar. Izakaya translates to “stay-drink-place.” It is a Japanese social place, much like a British pub.
“We can’t wait to bring new energy to Izakaya Ko while keeping everything people already love about it,” Pearl Hospitality Group co-founder Raymond De Padua said in a news release.