James Beard-nominated Phinney Ridge restaurant shutters after amassing $160K in debt
Jun 18, 2026, 7:07 AM | Updated: 3:03 pm
A view of a restaurants dining area. (Photo: Brett Carlsen, Getty Images)
(Photo: Brett Carlsen, Getty Images)
Sophon, a Cambodian restaurant specializing in Khmer cuisine, has shuttered after the owners accrued more than $160,000 in unpaid debt.
Located in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood, the restaurant’s closure comes just one year after earning a nomination for a highly coveted James Beard Award, according to The Puget Sound Business Journal.
Owner Karuna Long had his taxpayers certificate of registration revoked on June 1 by the Washington Department of Revenue, and the reseller permit was eventually voided two days later.
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Phinney Ridge restaurant earned national acclaim before mounting debt forced its doors shut
Between January 2024 and February 2026, Sophon didn’t file eight quarterly reports, according to state Labor and Industries records obtained by The Puget Sound Business Journal. Even though Long made delayed payments in mid-February, the late fees resulted in thousands of dollars in penalties.
Long formerly operated another business in Phinney Ridge that amassed thousands in debt and ultimately shuttered after a strung-out temporary closure since October 2025. Long’s cocktail bar, Oliver’s Twist, owed $186,529, according to King County Superior Court records obtained by The Puget Sound Business Journal.
In February, staff members held a walkout, and two employees filed nonpayment complaints with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
Long cited “cash flow issues” as the reason behind the late payments to staff members, along with missed utility and vendor payments, according to The Seattle Times. Sophon paused operations for two weeks as Long worked to compensate employees for their earnings, and later reopened with a mixture of new and returning staff members.
Since the restaurant opened in 2024, Sophon has garnered several nods from local and national critics, such as being named one of the country’s 20 best new restaurants by Bon Appétit and Eater Seattle listing it as the “best new bar” in its opening year.
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