The holidays are always fun at Tona, a time to get together with friends and coworkers to celebrate one another and a job well done; treating their employees to some fun at with bowling and games, followed by delicious food at some of Ogden’s best local restaurants. This year, the 8th Annual Holiday Party was no exception.

It was time to become a kid again, with adventures at Toad’s Funzone in North Ogden. Staff enjoyed a raucous game of laser tag, battling it out in a futuristic setting. When the game was over, everyone headed into the arcade for some good, old fashioned fun: winning tickets, whacking moles & challenging one another to races.

Employees’ children are having a blast.

After the fun was over, the staff headed over to Bistro 258 for some delicious food and merrymaking. It was quite crowded in the restaurant, but that just added to the fun atmosphere. The night was filled with laughter and staff recognition, including a trivia game to see what the guests knew about Tona. With prizes to be won –a few for staff and one for their families – the ensuing battles were fierce! In the end, the prizes for most knowledgeable Tona Sushi employees went to Kaytee, Poli, and Luis! The winner for the side of the families was Brent, Chantelle’s other half.

For the recognition portion of the evening, Tina & Tony wanted to thank certain members of their staff who have done great things in the past year. Bianca & Austin did an amazing job planning such a fun night out for everyone & were recognized by the group.

There were also thanks given to Bianca (again!), Hailey & Jessica for the fantastic job they did putting on the Tona Halloween Party earlier in the fall (You can read about it here! And check out the pictures too! It was so much fun!).

One thing is for certain, Tona knows how to say “Thank you!” and how to have a great time. Can’t wait to see what 2013 brings!

What event turned Tony from a Halloween humbug into a faithful fan of the frightening holiday? We’ll give you a hint: costumes and endless sushi were involved. Tona’s first Halloween party opened Tony’s eyes to the fun of All Hallows Eve and let loyal customers celebrate the holiday at their favorite sushi joint.

Getting ready for the party.

Tona invited customers to decorate and bring in pumpkins during the month of October for a chance to win gift certificates. Photos of the pumpkins were posted on Facebook so fans of Tona’s Facebook page and dine-in customers could vote for the winners. Prizes were handed out for first, second, and third place and Tona’s staff voted for the pumpkin that was the Best Representation of Tona.

Employees decorated the restaurant for the party and got into the spirit by dressing up. Tony and the sushi bar staff dressed as M&M’s, Tina was Melody Monster, Server Kamryn dressed as a cat burglar, Kaytee was Frida Kahlo, Jessica was Ebi Sushi, Bianca was Hello Kitty… There was a fire pit and seating on the patio so customers could enjoy the perfect Halloween weather. A costume contest was held with a random drawing of winners every hour and a backdrop was set up so guests could have their pictures taken.

Guests in costumes and having a good time.

Though the contest was random and not judged, Tony said he was particularly impressed by customer Paul Tippet’s costume. Paul was dressed as a skeletal grim reaper and stood on stilts to achieve a more frightening countenance. Tony found it particularly entertaining when Paul was forced to de-costume when he realized he couldn’t sit at any of the tables in his cumbersome get-up.

Sushi time! So many choices…

Tina said she presold ninety tickets and had a total of 155 guests. “It was a very nice turnout and everybody pulled together.  Thanks to our staff – Bianca, Jessica and Haley.  They stepped up and took lead to organize the event.  The sushi bar was well organized so we weren’t running out of food, and the kitchen was well organized and they were busting out food. So, it was a fun evening and a lot of customers stayed for more than two hours just to enjoy the company and the food.”

We had fun!

Tina also credited some of her 25th Street neighbors with her event’s success. She sends special thanks to Bistro 258 who lent the heat lamps for the patio, City Club who supplied the tables for the patio, Rovali’s who lent a microphone, and the Image Depot for lending her a camera and lighting for customer photos and also developed the pictures.

If the success of this year’s event and Tony’s newfound appreciation for Halloween are any indication, look forward to another spirited party next year.

Endless Sushi Party.

How do you raise $50,000 for the Red Cross in one day? Well, if you’re Stephanie Christiansen, the Development Director of the Northern Utah Chapter of the Red Cross, you throw one heck of a party. Over one-hundred and fifty people came to the Autumn Gourmet Gala held at Snowbasin this year on October 4th. Guests were delighted with the gorgeous fall scenery, wonderful food from local restaurants, and the chance to bid on auction items generously supplied by local businesses.

Left: At ABC News studio to talk about the event with news host Dan. Right: Red Cross Development Director Stephanie Christiansen, Chef Tony and Red Cross PR.

Tona has participated in the Autumn Gourmet Gala since it started three years ago, and Tony and Tina are delighted by the event’s success. Each of the participating restaurants donated a package for the live auction portion of the event. Tona’s package included a private dinner for six at Tona, two tickets on Southwest Airlines, and a three night stay for two at any Worldmark Wyndham Resort. The package was valued at $1,900 and sold for $1,550.

Left: Silent Auction. Right: Chef Tony with founder of Indie Ogden.

Tony says the private dinner for six he has given away will provide him with valuable information. He says the dinner will serve as a “beta version” for an event he and Tina are planning for this spring. The event will be a collaborative effort between Tona and the Red Cross and will be a larger version of the private dinner included in the auction package for the Autumn Gourmet Gala.

Tasting dish from Tona

Always on the lookout for new ways to give back to their community, Tony and Tina have found a mutually beneficial relationship with the Red Cross. They are happy to help an organization that recently spent $60,000 helping Utahns who were victims of recent wildfires across the state. Tina and Tony hope that their participation in events like the Autumn Gourmet Gala raises awareness to the needs of various charitable organizations in and around Ogden. They hope that by lending their time to good causes they will encourage others to participate for the benefit of our community.

Halloween is coming!  It’s spooky time of the year.  Tona’s Pumpkin Painting Contest is back!

Paint a pumpkin, bring it in to our restaurant between NOW and 10/27/12 for display.  Everyone who participates gets a FREE Tona T-shirt or Hat!

During Halloween week, we will pick a Tona Favorite base on creativity and best representation of Tona.  The Tona Favorite will receive a $100 Gift Certificate.  Your vote counts too!  Customers’ pick for 1st place will receive a $75 Gift Certificate, 2nd place will receive a $50 Gift Certificate, and 3rd place will receive a $30 Gift Certificate.

Winner will be announced on 11/6/2012. Get going with your creativity!