Success Story: SŌBŌ Sake Bar

 Crafting Connection Through Sushi and Sake: SŌBŌ Sake Bar Brings Japanese-Inspired Dining to Rural Northern California

Location: Northern California | Mendocino County | Boonville

Business Type: Restaurant (Sushi and Sake Bar)

Small Business Center: Mendocino SBDC

Assistance Received: Business Planning and Licensing and Permitting

California State Assembly District: 2

California State Senate District: 2

Visit SŌBŌ Sake Bar online

When the opportunity arose to open a Japanese-inspired sushi and sake bar in rural Northern California, Christina Jones didn’t hesitate. With a deep passion for hospitality and cooking and prior experience running businesses, Christina saw the perfect opportunity to share that passion with the community. When she discovered the location in Boonville, it immediately felt right.

“I’ve always loved hospitality and cooking,” Christina shared. “And when I saw this space, I just knew—there was nothing else like it here. It felt like the right fit, at the right time.”

That passion became SŌBŌ Sake Bar, a cozy, thoughtfully curated spot where locals and visitors alike gather to enjoy fresh sushi, handcrafted sake cocktails, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. But as any entrepreneur knows, the journey from vision to reality is rarely simple. Christina faced the challenge of creating a brand-new concept in a place where it had never been done before, while juggling operations, growth, and the need to balance rest and other areas of life—all in a very rural area of Northern California.

Finding enough time to manage day-to-day operations while also tapping into the administrative, planning, and longer-term strategies for business growth and sustainability proved challenging. How do you know you’re on the right track when you’re wearing every hat from chef to bookkeeper to marketer?

That’s where the Mendocino Small Business Development Center came in. Christina connected with the SBDC and began working through critical business areas including purchasing and lease interests, insurance types and coverages, permitting, licensure, and strategic planning and development of a food business that would appeal to both locals and travelers.

“I really appreciated having someone to bounce ideas off of,” Christina reflected. “Even though I didn’t need funding at the time, just having a sounding board was reassuring. Sometimes I’d already know the answer, but it meant a lot to have someone to double check things with—and to know I wasn’t doing this completely alone.”

While Christina admits she didn’t use as many SBDC services as she could have, knowing that support was available across all areas of the business made a significant difference. “It’s like having a safety net under your creative leap,” she noted. The SBDC remained a quiet but steady partner—available for advice, strategy sessions, or support when needed most.

Today, SŌBŌ Sake Bar is thriving in Boonville, with customers consistently returning and sharing positive feedback about the food and atmosphere. For Christina, success is measured simply: happy customers and heartfelt feedback.

“People keep coming back and saying how much they love the vibe and the food,” Christina shared. “That’s the most rewarding part.”

As the business continues to grow, Christina’s vision of bringing unique, quality Japanese-inspired dining to rural Mendocino County has become a reality—creating a gathering place that brings the community together one meal at a time.

If you’re in Mendocino County and interested in starting a specialty food business or navigating the complexities of restaurant operations in a rural area, connect with the Mendocino SBDC to learn about their business planning and licensing support services.

10/31/2025