Sazani Oceana, the upscale seafood restaurant co-owned by former Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Cribbs, will close after service on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026 — just over seven months after it opened at Shaker Square. Co-owner Akin Affrica cited a brutal run of economics behind the decision to shut down the 13220 Shaker Square address.
Owner Points to Months of Financial Strain
According to Cleveland.com, the closure was announced via a restaurant social media post, with Affrica saying, “the economics over the last four to five months have been very tough to sustain.” The restaurant had opened in March 2026 in the space long known to Shaker Square regulars as the former home of Edwins Too and, before that, Fire Food and Drink.
Affrica partnered with Cribbs to bring the concept to life, and the pairing drew attention well before opening day. Per Cleveland Magazine, the two set out to build a contemporary full-service seafood restaurant, with Affrica arguing earlier this year that the east side of Cleveland lacked a seafood restaurant doing what Sazani Oceana aimed to do — forcing diners to head downtown or west for a comparable meal.
A Renovated Space With Zanzibar Roots
The restaurant's name nodded to a coastal area on Zanzibar, and the concept was connected to Affrica's other venture, Zanzibar Soul Fusion, the station's report notes. Before opening, the space underwent a renovation that added booth seating, chandeliers and an updated patio, giving the former Edwins Too footprint a different feel for what was billed as an upscale, seafood-focused dining option. In its final weeks, the restaurant kept hours from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays, and until 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Second Shaker Square Closure This Year
Sazani Oceana's shutdown adds to a rough stretch for Shaker Square's dining scene. La Casa de Luchita's, the Mexican restaurant at 13133 Shaker Square, also closed this past summer, with Cleveland.com reporting the closure was for personal reasons. That restaurant had opened in July 2025 from restaurateur Rey Galindo and was paired with Coyoacán, a fast-casual taqueria styled after Chipotle, according to Cleveland Scene.
La Casa de Luchita's partners said in September they were exploring the best options for the restaurant's future after Galindo indicated he would take over operational management, Cleveland.com reported. The original Luchita's flagship on West 117th Street had closed in 2022 after 40 years in business, per Cleveland Magazine, making its Shaker Square revival an attempt to bring the name back before this year's setback.
Industry Headwinds Squeeze Independent Restaurants
Both closures land amid a broader squeeze on restaurant operators nationwide. The National Restaurant Association projects U.S. industry sales will reach $1.55 trillion in 2026, with inflation-adjusted gains of just 1.3%, but the trade group also warns that uneven customer traffic and rising costs continue to weigh on revenue and profitability. The association points to lingering inflation and a cooling labor market as forces tightening household budgets, particularly for low- and middle-income consumers — pressures that can hit newer, independent restaurants especially hard.
For now, Sazani Oceana's run at Shaker Square ends Sunday, leaving the former Edwins Too and Fire Food and Drink space empty once again. No information has been provided about what might take over the storefront next.
