Benihana and RA Sushi's Strategic Growth Continues

Signs Agreements for Four Company (Conroe, TX, Plantation, FL, Temecula, CA, Wellington, FL) and Two Franchised (Midland, MI, Saginaw, MI) Restaurants

AVENTURA, Fla., March 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Benihana Inc., the nation's leading owner and operator of Japanese teppanyaki and sushi restaurants, today announced it signed agreements to open five new Benihana restaurants and one RA Sushi restaurant.  The details for each restaurant are as follows:

• A new Benihana restaurant is planned for Conroe, TX, just south of Houston in Teas Crossing Shopping Center at 3061 Interstate 45 North, replacing the previous Wild Ginger Japanese Steakhouse. Benihana Conroe will span 7,000 square feet with 17 teppanyaki tables, a full-service sushi bar and a dedicated area for take-out and delivery business.
• A new Benihana restaurant is planned for Temecula, CA in Riverside County, just south of the 15 and 215 freeways at the intersection of Winchester Road and Ynez Road near the Promenade Temecula Mall. Benihana Temecula restaurant will be over 8,000 square feet with 18 tables, a full-service sushi bar and a dedicated area for take-out and delivery business.
• A new Benihana restaurant is planned for Wellington, FL in Palm Beach County, on South State Road 7. Benihana Wellington will be over 8,600 square feet with 19 tables, a full-service sushi bar and a dedicated area for take-out and delivery business.
• Two new franchised Benihana restaurants are planned for Midland and Saginaw, Michigan. Genji Inc. will transition Genji Midland located at 2929 S. Saginaw Road in Midland and Genji Saginaw located at 3870 Bay Road in Saginaw to Benihana restaurants. Both Benihana restaurants are expected to open in the fall of 2022. Benihana Midland will be over 6,800 square feet with 12 Teppanyaki tables and Benihana Saginaw will be over 9,100 square feet with 16 Teppanyaki tables.
• A new RA Sushi restaurant is planned for Plantation, FL in Plantation Walk at 333 North University Drive. The RA Sushi restaurant will be over 3,800 square feet with 34 tables, a full-service sushi bar and dedicated area for take-out and delivery business.

These new restaurants support the strategic plan announced in early 2020 centered on four key growth initiatives, which include:

• New Benihana and RA Sushi restaurant development in the U.S.;
• Select U.S. acquisitions;
• Select U.S. franchise development;
• International franchise development in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

For over half a century, Benihana restaurants have provided guests with high-quality Japanese cuisine served up in a fun-filled, engaging teppanyaki experience. Benihana has nearly 90 percent brand recognition nationwide and attracts a consistent and growing guest base, with more than 15 million guests served annually across 103 locations. This enduring popularity has sparked the development of valuable partnerships including Benihana frozen food products with KraftHeinz and locations in select entertainment and sporting venues such as Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Dolphins), the T-Mobile Center (Kansas City), Dignity Health Sports Park (LA Galaxy), and The Footprint Center (Phoenix Suns). The impressive growth of the Benihana and RA Sushi brands resulted in record-breaking revenues and industry-leading same store sales in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and recently in 2021.

"We strive to create great guest memories and are excited to continue to execute our growth plan with the addition of these six new restaurants this fall/winter," said Tom Baldwin, Chief Executive Officer and President of Benihana. "All six markets are strong performers for our current restaurants in Houston, South Florida, Detroit Metro and Southern California. We are always working on new locations for our Benihana and RA Sushi brands throughout the U.S.  These are exciting times for our Company as we aggressively pursue many new growth opportunities."

About Benihana Inc. Benihana, through its subsidiaries, is the nation's leading operator of Japanese teppanyaki and sushi restaurants with more than 100 restaurants operating under the brands BENIHANA®, RA SUSHI®, and SAMURAI®, including franchised BENIHANA restaurants in the United States, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Contact:
Jeannie Means / jmeans@Benihana.com

SOURCE Benihana Inc.