Almost exactly a year ago, the Phinney Ridge restaurant and bar Sophon was hosting a James Beard Foundation event showcasing Khmer cuisine and culture. Since its opening in 2024, Sophon had become one of Seattle’s most celebrated restaurants and a demonstration of what Cambodian food and drink could be.
In a complete turnaround, Sophon appears to have closed permanently, following a rocky six months when the entire staff quit, accusing owner Karuna Long of mismanagement and persistently paying them late.
The Department of Revenue revoked Sophon’s business license in early June according to a spokesperson. Multiple people sent The Stranger photos of a DOR notice stuck to the restaurant’s front window that said the state had issued three tax warrants against the business for unpaid tax bills totalling over $163,000.
At press time, that notice was gone, but during what would be normal business hours last week, no one picked up the phone at Sophon and the restaurant appeared to be empty. Though its website is still up, Sophon’s Instagram page has been deleted and it is listed as “not bookable” on Opentable.
Oliver’s Twist, a nearby cocktail bar that Long has owned since 2017, has been closed since late 2025 after falling more than $120,000 on its rent payments.
Long did not respond to a request for comment. A man who was outside Sophon on Monday and identified himself as the building’s owner also declined to comment.
As The Stranger reported in March, Long had been dealing with financial problems for some time. His former business partners sued him last year for breach of contract and fraud. His alleged mismanagement and late payments to staff became public in February, when the restaurant’s staff went on strike, forcing Sophon to close for several days. After most of those workers quit, Sophon reopened with a new staff.
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