It must have been an awful moment for Tondou owner, Kota Uechi, to arrive to his restaurant yesterday morning only to find that he had been robbed. Just before 3am, someone smashed through his front door and cleaned out his register, leaving nothing behind but a mess of glass.
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The Aftermath
Despite Uechi’s expected sadness surrounding the incident, he’s determined make something good out of something horrible. Originally from Okinawa, the idyllic Japanese island, Uechi works to embody the common Okinawan attitude of choosing kindness over anger and hate. He doesn’t know why Tondou was targeted. But Uechi believes that no truly “full” person could do something like this.
Uechi has received overwhelming support from the community in the short time since the incident. In an effort to find the silver lining, Uechi has decided to use any financial contributions to feed the hungry. When you order takeout from Tondou, add a note to “Pay it Forward” to contribute.
Tondou Ramen opened in 2018 in Toronto’s Little Italy. The brand was first established in 2001 in Japan, with the mandate of bringing Okinawan ramen culture to the world. They are open Monday-Thursday 12pm-9pm and Friday-Saturday 12pm-12am. You can order Tondou Ramen for pickup, or find them on UberEats, Skip the Dishes, DoorDash and Ritual.
