From our beginnings as a family business with one Benihana restaurant in New York to our recognition today as a cultural icon with 79 Benihana restaurants in the United States, Caribbean, and Central and South America, our success continues to be a result of our relationships with our guests, investors and employees. The facts below offer a broad view of Benihana’s past, present and future.
Like any good story, the history of Benihana begins with the descendent of a samurai warrior and a small Tokyo coffee shop. Just after the war, Yunosuke Aoki (a samurai descendent and popular entertainer) decided to start a coffee shop with his wife, Katsu. Wanting to offer something different than other coffee shops in the area, Yunosuke Aoki rode his bike over 20 miles to purchase real sugar to serve in his shop.
With his seed money in place, Rocky took out a loan and used it to start America’s first Japanese teppanyaki restaurant on West 56th street. Named after his parents’ Tokyo coffee shop, Benihana opened in 1964, featuring an authentic Japanese farmhouse interior and food prepared on steel teppanyaki grills right in front of customers. His highly trained teppanyaki chefs delighted customers with intricate knife work and theatrics. Not to mention delicious food. But it wasn’t until legendary food critic Clementine Paddleford gave Benihana a rave review that the restaurant really took off, paying for itself in just six months.
Soon after, Rocky opened a second Benihana in New York and a third Benihana restaurant in Chicago. By 1972, there were six Benihana locations in the United States, with more opening every day. Sadly, Rocky Aoki died in 2008 at the age of 69. But, his legacy lives on with more than 70 Benihana restaurants in the United States, Caribbean, and Central and South America, and more than 100 million meals served.
1964: Opening of first Benihana restaurant in New York City
1983: Initial public offering
1983-1997: Expanded from 11 restaurants to 47
1995: Completed acquisition of 17 teppanyaki-style restaurants
1997: Completed acquisition of Kyoto and Samurai restaurants
1999: Completed acquisition of Haru Sushi restaurants
2002: Acquisition of RA Sushi restaurants
2007: Opened 100th restaurant owned or franchised by Benihana National Corp.
2014: Celebrated 50th Anniversary
2018: Benihana breaks Guinness World Record for Longest Cooking Marathon
2019: Entered Arenas/Stadiums business in T-Mobile Center, Yankee Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium and Footprint Center
2024: Benihana, Inc. purchased by The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc.
Benihana is the leading Japanese restaurant chain in the United States. Our Benihana restaurants are a place to meet new friends, celebrate special occasions or just enjoy an entertaining meal. Our highly skilled teppanyaki chefs slice and dice your meal on teppanyaki grills, providing entertainment as you enjoy traditional Japanese cooking using American favorites like steak, chicken, seafood and vegetables. Benihana restaurants pioneered the communal dining concept in the early 1960’s where up to eight people are seated around a Japanese hibachi grill waiting anxiously for their personal show to begin.
Manny Hilario, Benihana’s President and Chief Executive Officer, joined the company in 2024.
Benihana owns 68 Japanese teppanyaki restaurants and 11 franchises in the United States, Caribbean and Central and South America. Additionally, one Samurai restaurant and 16 RA Sushi restaurants in the United States.
Benihana corporate has been based in South Florida since 1980. The address is 21500 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 900, Aventura, Florida 33180.
In 1964, Japanese-born Rocky H. Aoki opened the first Benihana restaurant on Manhattan’s West Side at 61 West 56th St. That restaurant soon became famous for its theatrical chefs, teppanyaki grills and traditional Japanese architecture. The interior structure of the restaurant was a 150-year-old Japanese barn that Rocky’s father found in the countryside of Japan.