Fusion restaurant Gaijin closed its doors Wednesday at 136 East Front Street - though the dining space will not remain empty for long.

Gaijin owner Simon Joseph posted an open letter to customers Wednesday notifying them that the restaurant - known for its ramen, bao buns, and other Asian-influenced dishes - was closing effectively immediately. "We apologize for the short notice, but these things have a timeline of their own. Rest assured we are taking care of our amazing staff during this transition," Joseph wrote. "We are really proud of what we created with Gaijin, and greatly appreciate the customers who embraced this East meets Midwest concept. We believe it was an important contribution to the culinary scene in Traverse City, and are grateful for the experiences we were able to create with this passion project. We are now looking ahead to the next adventure for this space, and are excited for the possibility."

Joseph tells The Ticker Gaijin's staff will be redistributed to his other businesses, including Harvest, Roaming Harvest, and Alley's Market. Gaijin Chef Gabe Lava will "be taking over some responsibilities company-wide to put his touch on all the (other businesses)," Joseph says. The restaurateur says he believes Gaijin's ramen-centric concept was a tough sell in Traverse City's peak tourism summer months and that the restaurant would have been "better suited for a larger year-round market."

However, Joseph doesn't intend to let go of his "prime Front Street location," particularly after personally working to convert the space from a former Subway franchise into Gaijin. The owner says he's already busy preparing his next restaurant concept for the location.

"One of the things about Gaijin - it wasn't necessarily a bad thing - but it wasn't quite as approachable as the new concept will be," Joseph says. "The first thing that we're doing when we're running restaurants is selling comfort. If a menu is not approachable because of the wording or the ingredients, that starts the meal off in an uncomfortable place. We're going to get back to this idea where it's comfort food - things that are recognizable and fun and easy. We want it to be somewhere people can come and be very comfortable."

Joseph declined to elaborate on the concept for the new restaurant, saying plans would be announced later this summer. Joseph said the new eatery will likely not open until at least Labor Day weekend.