July 28, 2020
Maybe most widely known for its Ryan Gosling-plastered women's bathroom, Bang Bang has been a downtown San Diego destination for sushi and nightlife for 7 years, but word is out the restaurant has permanently closed.
Bang Bang was a 7,000 square-foot, second story sushi house and nighttime hotspot that first opened at 526 Market Street in downtown San Diego in July 2013. The restaurant was founded by Johnny Shocky and business partner Mauricio Couturier, a designer that also owns El Camino Mexican restaurant in Little Italy and is in the process of building the amusement park-themed Wolfie's Carousel (which has a rotating carousel bar!). The partners first collaborated on the opening of together on now-defunct Gaslamp Quarter nightclub Voyeur.
Being Bang Bang is an entirely indoor operation, the restriction on indoor dining caused by COVID-19 was likely the nail in the coffin for the business.