shrimp tales july 05:shrimp tales july 05.qxd.qxd

Shrimp Tales
T H E
O F F I C I A L
What’s Inside?
Japan Tour 2005 1
Iron Dad 1
Corporate Report 2
Lights, Camera Action 3
Benihana Best Of ’s 3
Regional News 4-6
Celebrity Cook-Offs 6
People News 7
Doraku News 8
Haru News 8
N E W S L E T T E R
O F
B E N I H A N A
I N C .
Summer 2005
Benihana hosts heritage tour to Tokyo
or the second consecutive year,
Benihana is hosting a first-class, customer appreciation trip to Japan.
Departing on September 17, 2005, this
year's adventure will take customers to the
cosmopolitan city of Tokyo. A special price of
$1,249.00 per person includes round-trip airfare to Tokyo on Japan Airlines from Los
Angeles or San Francisco, hotel transfers
and four nights' accommodations at the
prestigious Keio Plaza, located in the heart
of Tokyo. In addition, guests will enjoy a
memorable welcome dinner party and have
the opportunity to explore the city and its
surrounding countryside by choosing from
many optional customized sightseeing tours.
F
RA Sushi News 9
Marketing Matters 10
Benihana Balloon Team 11
“Because Japanese culture holds family history in such high regard, I always enjoy hearing
stories about my grandfather, Yunosuke Aoki, who opened a small coffee shop in Tokyo in
1948," said Kevin Aoki, Benihana vice president of marketing. "In fact, growing up in that
environment gave my father, Rocky Aoki, the idea to launch his first
Continued page 12
Benihana Las Colinas celebrates the “Iron Dad”
Our Vision
To continually enrich the lives
of our customers through
greater exposure to Japanese
culture and cuisine.
Mission Statement
To educate and entertain all
members of the growing
Benihana family by bringing
you the latest Benihana facts,
keeping you informed about
our future plans and sharing
with you the news that makes
Benihana.
© Copyright 2005, Benihana Inc.
8685 NW 53rd Ter., Miami, FL 33166
This Father's Day, Benihana Las Colinas
offered Dallas-Fort Worth families an exclusive
gift to honor their fathers with the first-ever
Benihana "Iron Dad" cooking class. Consisting
of a one-on-one class at the Benihana table
with a trained chef, and the chance to prepare
dinner for the family at Benihana, the "Iron Dad"
was a delicious answer to the Father's Day
questions of what to give and where to eat.
After a two-hour cooking class, the 40 dads
whose families signed them up had the chance to "cut up" for their families making dinner
for four on Monday, June 27 and Tuesday, June 28 for $100. For both events, Manager
Stacey Okubo, Assistant Manager Stacy Park, and Chief Chef Chon Hwang said their
staff had a great time watching the dads turn on the Benihana charm for their families especially since the chefs got a nice break and great entertainment. While the restaurant
got a bit smoky during the dinners, families and dads left happy with full bellies, personal
chef hats and a true sense of culinary accomplishment.
"Kevin Aoki had suggested this, and we felt it was a great idea since so often, dads are left
to the outdoor grill. We thought we'd spice it up by letting them have at ours," Okubo said.
"Dads love to show off for their families. And, as an extra bonus, they could make a
mess because we did the cleaning."
Corporate Report
To Our Employees:
It is once again a pleasure to communicate with you. As our latest sales comparisons indicate, business has been very
good despite higher gasoline prices, international turmoil and an uncertain economy. Our first quarter is off to a very
good start. Benihana was built on the premise that people will come to a good restaurant if they are provided with
excellent, tasty food and a fun environment, and that is what we provide in each of our restaurant concepts.
Of course, the key ingredient remains our people, and the warmth and diligence that each of you display in greeting
guests and seeing to their needs is clearly reflected in our Company's continuing achievements. The casual food business is highly competitive, as you know, and therefore it is important that we continue to maintain the highest standards of service and accommodation.
Our Company today has a broad reach through our three thriving concept restaurant chains - Benihana teppanyaki restaurants, which
remain the standard for outstanding Japanese food and pleasurable, fun-filled dining; Haru, our keystone sushi restaurant for both inhouse dining and take out; and RA Sushi, the rapidly expanding and exciting fusion restaurant chain that soon will stretch from its home
base in Arizona to California, Texas, Illinois and Florida.
Our future is closely linked to the growth of all three segments. This past year we added a new restaurant in Carlsbad, California, and
completed extensive remodeling on restaurants in San Francisco, California, and Manhasset, New York, which opened just in time for a
grand Mother's Day crowd. We have currently in development two new Benihana teppanyaki restaurants, in Coral Gables and Miramar,
Florida.
The design program we undertook with the noted retail architectural firm of W.D. Partners also is beginning to bear fruit. The inspiration
for this program was a recognition that after 40 years - 40 highly successful years, I might add - some teppanyaki restaurants needed
makeovers to assure that we continue to remain as pertinent in the future as we have over the past four decades. Our first teppanyaki
restaurant to incorporate the new future model of Benihana restaurants is now under development in Miramar, Florida. It will be our first
restaurant to be built from the ground up to reflect the new design for future teppanyaki restaurants. In addition, our restaurant at Short
Hills, New Jersey, is being remodeled along the new lines. We plan to extend the program to others as well. The remodeling program will
take time, but it will be well worth the effort.
Haru has also been busy. This year it opened a new restaurant in the City of New York, where it now operates six restaurants catering to
people who know and love good sushi. And in July Haru opened its first restaurant outside its New York City base. The new location is in
the Old Town area of Philadelphia, and our plan is over time to expand the concept to other high-density urban locations.
For its part, RA Sushi continues to attract an increasing number of customers in each of its locations. Today there are eight RA Sushi
restaurants in operation, compared to the four we started with. Another five are under development, in Huntington Beach and Tustin,
California, Glenview, Illinois, Houston, Texas and Palm Beach, Florida, with more on the way. Notably, during this year's first quarter RA
Sushi rang up double digit comparable sales gain, underscoring the appeal of an eclectic atmosphere and fusion Japanese food.
Our activities focused on continuing Benihana's vigorous growth as the Company also extends to new purchasing methods for food and
other products. We are determined to develop a more centralized purchasing program that will reflect our Company's extensive and
expanding activities. Cost savings are a key ingredient of this effort, but it also is designed to ensure that our guests receive the best
quality and freshest food to make their dining experience with us a memorable one. One of the things we at Benihana are most proud of
is the number of third and fourth generation customers from the same families that continue to patronize our tables.
I had the honor not long ago to be present at the grand re-opening of our teppanyaki restaurant in San Francisco. It was a remarkable
and very touching celebration, as speaker after speaker, including a number of that incomparable city's officials, took note of their frequent visits to Benihana - a town which has more than its share of highly notable dining establishments. As I travel around the country, as
I frequently must do to visit existing restaurants and identify sites for new ones, I meet numerous individuals to whom Benihana is a valued icon and, as we promise in our advertisements, an unforgettable experience.
The roots of our Company go deep, and Benihana continues to be strongly positioned to move forward. Which is exactly what our plans
call for. Your dedication and loyalty, as always, is greatly appreciated. Each of you is instrumental in our ability to continue to grow, and to
make our Benihana family of restaurants so outstanding.
Thank you, and have a great summer.
2
Joel A. Schwartz
Lights, camera, action
On a cold February morning large studio trucks began pulling into the dark
parking lot at Benihana Encino, unloading cameras, dollys, cranes, and even a
large special effects machine that rivaled something out of Willy Wonka's
Chocolate Factory. Soon others began to arrive for an 18-hour shoot that
would edit down to about 3 minutes on the screen.
Universal Studio's soon-to-be-released movie comedy "40-Year-Old Virgin",
starring Steve Carell and Catherine Keener, filmed a birthday party scene at
Benihana that seemed a bit beyond belief. It took hundreds of crew members,
at least 75 extras and an uncountable number of producer-types to settle
around two people having a conversation at the teppan table. Carell, the male
lead, played a hapless middle-age man looking for love while Keener was his
mis-matched date for the night.
Actors Steve Carell and Catherine Keener
converse during a break in the filming of
"40-Year-Old Virgin", which was filmed in
part at Benihana Encino.
The shoot forced the closure of the restaurant for the day. But not only was
Benihana paid a "location fee", we will receive well-earned publicity when the
film is released in August. Seven Benihana chefs were hired as extras along
with five servers, including Mimi Widjanaka, who had a speaking part.
A month later, in Puente Hills, MTV showed up to shoot a prize segment of
their reality show, "70's House". The show is premised on a dozen young
adults who live together in a home that is decorated 1970's-style. Each
episode features a competition between the teams; with a prize, such as dinner at Benihana, being awarded to the winners. The catch is that everyone
must dress and talk in 70's style and all prizes have to be something that existed during the 70's decade. Chief Chef Philip Mao cooked and interacted with
the group while server Jenny Yuan was featured on-air as well. Look for the
show to air on MTV later this summer.
Benihana Puente Hills and server Jenny
Yuan and Chef Philip Mao were featured in
the TV shoot for “70’s House”
Keep your eyes open for not one, but two upcoming segments of "The Secret
Life Of" on the FOOD Network. The producers of this popular show were so
impressed with the history and success of Benihana, that in late July, they
filmed two segments on the same day at Benihana New York West. The shows
will not air until next year, but you can expect to see "The Secret Life Of" both
steak and shrimp discussed Benihana style.
Benihana Best Of’s
Memphis - Voted Silver Medal for
2005 Best Japanese restaurant in
Memphis Magazine. The magazine
claims that, "Benihana hasn't let go of
its vise grip in years."
Salt Lake City - Best Flying Shrimp
according to the April 7, 2005 issue of
SLC Weekly, which says, "You can't
beat the tableside show of cookery nor
those flying shrimp."
Scottsdale - For the second consecutive year, Benihana Scottsdale received
the Best Savory Taste Award at the
2005 Scottsdale Culinary Festival.
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale - Silver
Medal Winner in the 2005 Kids Crown
Awards for Most Fun Place to Eat
Dinner, by the readers of South Florida
Parenting Magazine.
Anaheim & Newport - Voted "Best
Japanese Restaurant/Sushi Bar" by the
readers of the Orange County Register
in the 2005 People's Choice Awards.
San Diego & Carlsbad - Voted
"Best Japanese Restaurant" by the San
Diego Union Tribune newspaper.
Sacramento - Voted Silver Medal in
August 2005 issue of Sacramento
Magazine. This is quite an impressive
achievement when considering the
large number of Japanese & Asian cuisine restaurants in that market.
Jim O'Connor, the gregarious host of "The
Secret Life Of", gives a thumbs up to the
cooking skills of Chef Tu and a great big
thank you to Rocky Aoki and Manager
Teddy Kojoh.
3
Regional News
Santa Monica - Inaugural "3D CG" Contest Create Showcase for Local Artists. "Spanish Sunrise", a realistic rendering of a Mediterranean villa bathed in streaming morning sunlight, has captured first place in Benihana Santa
Monica's inaugural "3D CG" (three dimensional computer graphics) contest. Local resident Vladimir Pineda, 28, a student at the Art Institute in Santa Monica spent more than 35 hours creating the intricate rendering.
Restaurant manager Michi Shiraishi presented Vladimir with a letter entitling
him to Dinner for Eight at a mid-April gathering at the restaurant. Vladimir,
who is also a painter, sculptor and musician, will return to Benihana to celebrate the fruits of his labor with friends and enjoying seeing his work of art on
display at the restaurant over the next few months.
Vladimir noted he appreciates that Benihana has provided graphic artists a
public forum to showcase their work. "There are a lot of places for traditional
artists to display their work, such as galleries, malls and street fairs," he said.
"But for the most part, 3D renderings are only viewed on the Internet, in films
and e-games. I want to thank Benihana for giving 3D enthusiasts a place to
showcase our skills and let the public enjoy the medium."
The Benihana "3D CG" contest was the brainchild of manager Shiraishi. "There is a lot of undiscovered talent in this
field and in Santa Monica, there are a lot of entertainment companies looking for new talent. I wanted Benihana to be a
bridge between the two," Shiraishi said. He plans to host another contest later in the year.
Local Concierges Get a Taste of Benihana. On June 6, 2005,
Benihana Santa Monica gave area hotel concierges the royal
treatment at a first-class cocktail and dinner reception. The
evening began with a reception line of chefs and staff cheering on
guests as they entered the restaurant. Later the festivities got into
full swing when several concierges were invited to participate in a
Kagami Wari, or sake barrel breaking ceremony.
Performed at special events to bring luck and success as one celebrates new beginnings, this tradition was performed by Benihana
Santa Monica
Manager Michi
Shiraishi (left) and
concierges from three area hotels as well as Benihana V.P. of Marketing
Kevin Aoki. Regional manager Shugo Kanai, on the microphone, counts
down, "Ichi, nee, san!" as everyone joins in the fun by smashing open the lid
of the huge barrel filled with sake.
Ontario - Benihana in Ontario was one of a dozen local eateries and 20
California wineries that participated in a charity benefit to raise money for
burn victims on April 24. Servers Sandy Gerungan (left) and Wendy Ku
(right) teamed up with marketing rep Debbie Fawcett to serve sushi rolls to
nearly 500 guests who paid $50 apiece to sample various wines and cuisine.
Miami - On March 23, 2005, The Miami Children's Museum was the site
for renowned Benihana Sushi Chef, Cesar Miyasato, to display his skills
and teach kids the fine Japanese art of creating sushi rolls. It was one of the
special activities tied to the Museum's current exhibit, Japan and Nature:
Spirits of the Seasons, sponsored in part by Benihana. Chef Miyasato lead a
class of more than 50 children, teaching them the secrets of great sushi
rolling and giving them all a chance to try their skills as well. It became quite
a tasty class as everyone was invited to eat their creations.
4
Whether you were shooting hoops with a Miami Heat player, participating in one of the many carnival activities, dancing with Heat dancers or
sampling fine foods, you were guaranteed to have a good time at the
8th Annual Miami Heat Family Festival.
Held March 20th right on Miami Beach, over 4,000 fans partied
throughout the day while at the same time contributing thousands of
dollars to the Miami Heat Family Outreach Charitable Fund which distributes much needed funds to needy programs throughout the South
Florida market.
Benihana was once again proud
to participate in this worthy event.
Miami Heat President Pat Riley, poses with Chefs
While showing off our brand new
Erika Matamoro & Porfirio Ramirez, Manager Willie
prototype portable Teppanyaki
Horigome & Senior Marketing Manager Yasushi
Watanabe.
grill, staff from across South
Florida chipped in to cook and
serve up over 150 pounds of rice! Several celebrities even made their way over to
sample our signature dish.
Benihana was proud to join the City of Miami in sponsoring the First Year of
Growth at the Ichimuru Miami-Japan Garden on April 29, 2005.
Famous Novella heartthrobs, Jose
Enrique Abello & Marcel Cezan share a
smile with Chef Erika Matamoro.
Coinciding with Japan's
National Green Day holiday, several hundred invited guests
gathered in the garden to enjoy remarks made by City of Miami
Mayor Manny Diaz and Miami's Consul General of Japan the
Honorable Masakazu Toshikage, followed by an authentic gift
exchange presentation. Guests were then invited to enjoy a picnic lunch catered by several local restaurants.
Benihana kept everyone's taste buds tingling as Chef
Elenilson Orellana prepared Yakisoba noodles on a portable
teppanyaki grill. Even City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz stopped
by to ask Chef Elenilson for the Benihana secret recipe.
Houston - The Benihana Celebrity Chef Cook-Off season
officially kicked off on April 7th in Houston, Texas. This year's
event marked the 24th Annual Celebrity Chef Benefit established to raise both funds and awareness for ESCAPE Family
Resource Center.
Over 400 guests kicked up their heels as they enjoyed a night filled with
music, food and a silent and live auction chock full of fabulous one-of-akind items. But the highlight of the evening for everyone in attendance
was rubbing elbows with Hollywood legend Tony Curtis.
San Francisco - Throughout the month of April, 2005 Benihana
Houston managers Narongk Utsaha and Kenny
Matsuda welcome guest host Tony Curtis
was the "Official" Restaurant Sponsor for "Sylvia's Girls Club". Female
listeners had the opportunity to mingle with STAR's Mid-Day personality,
Sylvia Chacon, while enjoying a fabulous dinner at Benihana in San
Francisco. The promotion was a huge success and the winners were so
excited to be out at Benihana!
A special thank you to Benihana Regional Manager Ted Akaosugi and
Manager Mitsuru Mori for taking such good care of all these ladies!
5
Regional News continued
Alaska - A warm welcome to all the employees in Anchorage, Alaska as
they become a part of the Benihana family.
Hawaii - Honolulu, Hawaii was definitely the HOT spot to be on May 29,
Senior Marketing Manager Yami Yuhara made
the long trip to Anchorage to personally greet
staff members Eva Lopez, Santa Lacasamana,
Suchitta Kaeobut and Nikki Webster.
2005 when members of the local Benihana team got together to show off
their skills on the golf course. Showing off their competitive sides in the
Benihana Hawaii Golf Classic
are from left to right: Toshi
Baba, Sysay
Khounsourath, Mark
Tateishi, Thomas Toth,
Yuko Yamamoto, Peter
Yum, Nick Kobayashi and
Hiro Aoki.
Scottsdale - Hats off to
the staff in Scottsdale on their
great success this last year.
From their award winning
cooking skills at the area's most popular annual food festival, to the many
early morning wake-up calls they accept in order to make television appearances, it's no wonder customers are lining up at their doors after the great
PR they have been getting lately!
Being interviewed during a recent Benihana
cooking segment on a Scottsdale television news
program are Chef Ubo Lwin, Manager Ajay
Kapur and Chef Ken Homan.
‘Tis the season for Celebrity Chef Cook-off dinners
For over a quarter of a century, Benihana has partnered with select charities around the country in order to raise both
dollars and awareness for children's' needs ranging from adoption to abuse. Currently celebrity chef cook-off fundraising
events are held in Houston, Cincinnati, Wheeling, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Troy and Cleveland. Thanks to the tremendous commitment of our managers and their staffs, Benihana has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for
these worthy organizations.
Although the cause may be of a very serious nature, it is obvious from these photos that everyone who participates
seems to get into the swing of things and is rewarded with a night to remember!
Only too happy to participate in the 6th
Annual Three Rivers Adoption Council
fundraiser is Ian Rosenberger, star of the
hit reality television series Survivor.
Congratulating him on his third place finish
are Manager Michael Kuramoto and
Assistant Manager Al Manekul.
6
Although Wheeling is only in their second
year of hosting a Cook-Off, Chicago
Manager Keiichiro Nii was delighted to lend
a helping hand in wrestling Bubbah the
Alligator. The exotic animal was part of a
live auction prize to educate children on
animals and their habitats.
Acting as guest host for the 9th Annual TriState Adoption Coalition Cook-Off in
Cincinnati is NFL Hall of Fame Member
Anthony Munoz seen here congratulating
Assistant Manager Henry Mariposa.
People news
San Francisco - Kevin Aoki, Benihana Vice President of Marketing, congratulates San Francisco Chef Aurelio
Cervantes, Jr. on his ten-year anniversary. When asked to share one of his favorite Benihana memories, Chef Cervantes
described the time when he was promoted to chef after spending six months as a
kitchen helper. "I was so nervous that my hands were shaking the first time I cooked for
customers." After a decade at Benihana, he says he still loves coming to work every day.
Miami - Benihana is pleased to announce the promotion of Juan Garcia to Senior
Vice President and Chief Operating Administrative Officer. Juan, long a member of the
Benihana Inc. senior management team, has directed financial operations since 1994,
and has served Benihana for more than 23 years.
With this promotion, he assumes the added responsibility for all restaurant division operations and the key functions that integrate the Company's corporate office with the
restaurant divisions, both Teppan and Sushi. As SVP and Chief Operating Administrative
Officer Juan will drive the operational activities of all of the Company's restaurant concepts; Benihana, Samurai, Doraku, Haru, and RA. He will also manage the corporate
functions of Construction, Information Technology Systems, Risk Management, Human
Resources, Franchising and Business Development.
Other announcements involving the Benihana corporate office team include the hiring of
Jose Ortega, Controller; Sal Aquilato, Senior Director of Construction; David Chun,
Senior Director of Information Systems and Hair Parra, Director of Franchise
Operations.
Congratulations to Marketing Assistant, Tessa Kuhn, on her recent marriage to K.C.
Trimble.
Sports and Benihana - a winning combination
Benihana founder, Rocky Aoki, officiated in the coin toss prior to the
start of the New York Sharks vs. Connecticut Lightning football game
on April 23, 2005. Rocky and several members of the Japanese media
were on hand to admire the athletic skills of Japanese countrywoman Junko Tanida. Tanida, who returns to Japan during the offseason, is a three-year football veteran and all-star receiver.
The NY Sharks is a professional football team currently home to 55
female football players from the tri-state area. They are proud to be
the winningest and longest operating women's tackle football team
in America.
Benihana is proud to announce its partnership with the Florida
Marlins during this 2005 season. Combining the leading Japanese
restaurant in the country with the Two-Time World Series Champions
is a perfect game plan. Fans will see eye-catching advertising placed
along the first and third base lines and will have a chance to possibly
win valuable Benihana gift certificates throughout the season.
Marketing Vice President, Kevin Aoki, takes a break from batting
practice to show off the beautiful new Benihana ad now displayed at
all Florida Marlins home games. Thousands of fans were there on
"Benihana Night" to watch Kevin throw a strike as he threw out the
ceremonial first pitch prior to the June 9, 2005 Marlins vs. Mariners
game.
7
Doraku heats up over the summer months
Doraku, Benihana's sushi lounge on Lincoln Road in
Miami Beach, recently launched Champagne Chill, a
weekly Sunday brunch featuring the famed diva of
soul, Maryel Epps. Served a la carte, Champagne
Chill includes typical brunch items, salads and
grilled selections from Doraku's menu, as well as their newest cocktail concoction, Wasabi Bloody Mary's. Acclaimed singer, songwriter, and actress, Maryel
Epps, one of South Florida's most exciting divas, has also performed with
musical greats such as Bob Dylan, Dizzy Gillespie, Chaka Khan, David Lee
Roth, David Bowie and Patti Labelle.
For customers who prefer sushi to champagne, then the new monthly Roll Your
Own Sushi classes should certainly make them happy! Reservations have
been rolling in for this crowd-pleasing event. Although seating is limited, those
in attendance get the full attention of Japanese trained executive Chef Hiro
Terada as they learn how to roll like a pro as they sip on specially created
Sushi Master Martinis.
And last, but not least, the hottest drink on the circuit these days is none other
than Ketel One Vodka, which hosted a special event at Doraku in early August.
The place was packed with customers who came to check out a four-foot ice
carving of two larger-than-life Ketel One bottles, etched with Doraku's logo,
with channels and spouts pouring out the chilled cocktail of the evening.
Everyone seems to be having a good time as they pose for the camera
including bar manager Aaron Hyatt and bar back Raul Castro, head
server Ken Kashiwagi and server Genette Thompson, and corporate
office receptionist Lucy Ricouz and friend.
Haru opens first location outside of New
York City in nearby Philadelphia, Pa.
Guests raised their sake for a toast of "Kampai!"
as Haru Philadelphia celebrated its Grand
Opening Thursday, July 21, 2005. Amongst
approximately 300 guests in attendance at the
event were numerous members of the press from
Philadelphia publications such as Philadelphia Magazine, Daily
News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, City Paper, Philadelphia Style
Magazine and others, as well as Benihana Executives: Founder,
Rocky Aoki, President and Chief Executive Officer, Joel Schwartz, and Vice President,
Kevin Aoki.
While admiring the chic décor of Haru Philadelphia and listening to the sounds of D.J.
Rob Paine, guests sipped Komodo Dragons and other specialty cocktails and enjoyed
Haru's extraordinary sushi and sashimi. In the midst of this, a Kagami Wari Ceremony
began in which Rocky Aoki welcomed guests, Joel Schwartz spoke to the vision of Haru
and Kevin Aoki led the ceremony. After being joined by Seth Rose of Haru and two
guests from the intrigued and excitable crowd (Warren Palitz and Marianne Borawski),
the ceremony participants donned their Happicoats before breaking the The newly named management team is all smiles at
sake barrel with hammers in celebration. Quite a success, the evening the Grand Opening of Haru Philadelphia. From left to
right are: Associate Manager Thomas Lambiase,
introduced a promising beginning for Haru Philadelphia.
8
General Manager Howard Hou, Kitchen Manager Joe
Salvador and Haru Corporate Manager Kevin Hoover.
RA Sushi adding 6 new locations in 2006
RA Sushi will soon be open for business and offering
outstanding Japanese fusion cuisine in a fun, lively environment to diners from Coast to Coast.
Highland Village in Houston, Texas provides the cities
finest retail and dining experience. RA is scheduled to join the upscale
lifestyle center in January 2006.
In February 2006, RA Sushi is scheduled to open its doors in Palm
Beach Gardens, a new master-planned community north of Palm Beach,
Florida. The retail development, Downtown at the Gardens, will be an
upscale retail, restaurant, and residential development featuring a 16screen theater, Whole Foods Market, nationally known restaurants and
specialty retailers unique to the area.
The Glen Town Center in Glenview, Illinois will be home to RA's second
location in the Chicago area. The redeveloped military installation is a
multi-use community on the North Shore featuring over 50 specialty
retailers, services and restaurants. The Glenview RA is slated for opening in May 2006.
Lombard, Illinois is a short commute from downtown Chicago and RA
plans to open its doors at the Yorktown Shopping Center there in the
late fall of 2006.
The District at Tustin Legacy and Huntington Beach, both located in
Orange County, California are planned to open for business in fall, 2006.
First national fundraiser exceeds expectations
RA Sushi's first national fundraiser surpassed company expectations when the
company's eight-restaurants were able to raise more than $75,000 with its debut
of a weeklong program called "Nicky's Week" benefiting the internationally recognized St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
RA donated 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of all spicy tuna rolls,
edamame and selected beverages to benefit St. Jude Children's Research
Hospital during the week of May 29 through June 4. On the final day, Nicky's
Week culminated with a silent auction and event at each of the locations.
The fundraiser was developed in memory of longtime St. Jude patient Nicholas
"Nicky" Mailliard who died in February 2005 after a long battle with brain cancer. Nephew of RA's own director of operations, Rich Howland, Nicky held a special place in the hearts of RA associates throughout the organization. The restaurant created this benefit in honor of Nicky as a way to further promote the exceptional support provided to all families
with children receiving care at St. Jude.
Due to the success of the first year, RA Sushi has decided to continue the event as the company's signature annual
fundraiser with participation from the eight RA Sushi restaurants throughout the country with more scheduled to open in
the coming year.
The $75,000 will help pay for the development of treatment and cures for diseases such as brain tumors, leukemia, and
childhood HIV, and other life threatening illnesses in children. All eight RA Sushi locations throughout the country participated in the fundraiser creating the restaurant's first national benefit.
9
Marketing Matters
Gift card contest taps marketing know-how
The gift card phenomenon is here to stay and Benihana
restaurants have embraced it from coast to coast. The
card works at so many levels. Loyal customers do our
bidding for us by passing on their recommendation to
friends and family. After all, that's exactly what the card is
- an endorsement of their great experience at Benihana.
It works for Benihana because sales are not posted until
the card is used - and with most card sales taking place
over the holidays, recipients tend to use them after the
Christmas rush, especially in January, when business has
slowed down.
Cards work for the gift giver too - easy to buy, easy to
mail. No standing in line at the post office to ship. And of
course they work for the lucky person who receives one
as a gift.
Last holiday season, as the one before, Benihana held a
competition among units to reward the restaurant with the
highest gift card sales during the holiday crunch. Rules
were revised in 2004 to equalize the contest; rather than
counting straight gift card sales and that number was
divided by a unit's total weekly sales during the contest
period. This way, it didn't matter if a unit averaged a higher volume - the playing field was leveled.
During a four-week period, November 29 to December 26,
$637,500 worth of gift cards was sold, reflecting a total of
14,285 cards! Carlsbad, barely six months old at the time,
took first place. Manager Kunio Abe and his staff sold a
total of 585 cards equaling $28,465, as opposed to second place winner Torrance which sold 900 cards
($45,379). But the formula of dividing card sales by weekContinued page 12
A message from Kevin Y. Aoki, Vice President Marketing
If you're feeling hot in these sticky summer months, it could be the heat from
our newest advertising and promotional
campaigns. These initiatives are redhot and they promise to flood our
restaurants with crowds of customers
pumped up by the expectations of an
authentic, fun, entertaining Japanese experience at
Benihana. How will we be raising the excitement level
as the temperatures rise?
To start with, we've hired internationally renowned photographer Jake Chessum to photograph our latest
advertising campaign. One of the top print photographers in the world, Mr. Chessum has shot the likes of
Brad Pitt, Mick Jagger and Rudy Giuliani for first-class
publications like Esquire, The New York Times Magazine
and Premiere. Get ready to see new "Shrimp On The
Nose" ads in magazines and on billboards across the
country this summer. We'll also be partnering with
American Airlines and America West to make sure that
when people fly for vacation or business that they land
at Benihana.
The ads will be beautiful, but the excitement level will
really take off as we prepare to host Benihana's second
annual trip to Japan in September. Last year's trip to
Kyoto was such a success that this year we'll be leading
a tour of Tokyo, the city where my grand-father opened
the family's very first restaurant. Two lucky customers
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were selected to join this trip for free through our
GoTokyo promotion. The once-in-a-lifetime trip reinforces our determination to be a leading ambassador
and source for Japanese culture and traditions in the
United States and
around the world.
Looking beyond this
summer, we'll be
ramping up our advertising with a brandnew TV campaign and
lots of other exciting
initiatives. Be sure to
look in my next colKevin Aoki presents Karolina
umn for a Tokyo trip
report, news on the suc- Guzman of Hawthorne, CA, with
two tickets to Japan. Ms. Guzman
cess of the Shrimp On was this year's Mother's Day conThe Nose campaign and test winner and will be attending
the September GoTokyo trip along
many other developwith several members of her family.
ments. We'll also be distributing a comprehensive marketing manual soon to let
everyone know what materials are available to support
your restaurant's success.
So stay tuned and turn up the air-conditioning because
you know Benihana is only going to get hotter.
Thank you for your passion in Benihana!
- Kevin Aoki
Celebrity Corner
The Emperor’s Club
Not a day goes by at Benihana when
a celebrity doesn't stop by for lunch
or dinner. Pictured here is the staff
from the Support Services department posing with the Grammy Award
winning Latin singer and songwriter,
Chayanne. And who would believe
that Houston Rockets Center Yao
Ming is 7'-5" tall as he sits beside
Houston II Manager Narongk
Utsaha.
Benihana is proud to celebrate the
First Anniversary of the nationwide
launch of The Emperor's Club. Since
the first customer signed up in June
of 2004 in Las Colinas, the number of
loyal customers has rapidly grown to
now include over 78,000 people! With
over 4,000 patrons joining every
month, the numbers are sure to
explode in the months ahead as franchise locations are added to the list
of locations where the Emperor's
Club is accepted.
Up, Up and Away…
Thanks to the efforts of Managers
and staff from across the country,
restaurants can celebrate the loyal
following of over 1,300 members per
restaurant. They can now see the
fruits of their labor in the increased
sales and increased dining frequencies of Emperor's Club members.
The Benihana "Chef Rocky" hot air
balloon made a special appearance
at this year's Indianapolis State Fair.
Held in mid July, this is the fifth time
that Benihana has participated in the
festival, which always attracts fans
from across the county. This year
was no different, as over 10,000
spectators awakened early to watch
the sunrise launch.
It was smooth sailing from the fairgrounds to the Indianapolis Benihana
where the staff was anxiously waiting
to see what it takes to fly a hot air
balloon. Giving the lessons was longtime Benihana pilot Ronnie
Shewmaker. His students included
Assistant Manager Tony Chen and
Manager Alvin U as well as
Bookkeeper Carina Brown and
Hostess Jessica Falkner.
Tony Chen is quick to greet customers and
inform them about the benefits of the
Emperor's Club. The Indianapolis Assistant
Manager has been instrumental in leading
the way toward restaurant's success.
Houston II waitresses Monica Wang and
Alice Lim are all smiles as they continue to
sign up Emperor's Club members in one of
the best performing restaurants.
Tsunami Relief Fund
The Benihana corporate office is
pleased to announce that it successfully raised $15,851 in employee
donations used to benefit victims of
the Dec. 25, 2004 tsunami disaster.
Each donation made by an employee
was matched 2 for 1 by two anonymous fellow employees. So, no matter what someone was able to contribute, these generous benefactors
multiplied the donation.
shared with the American Red Cross
Disaster Relief Asia Fund.
While pictures of the devastation may
be embedded in our memories for
many years to come, we will know
that in some small way, our contributions helped to bring a bit of comfort
and care to these special people in
their time of need.
Thank you to the entire Benihana
Family!
All donations were collected and
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Japan Tour continued from page 1
Benihana restaurant in the U.S. in 1964." Continues the third generation restaurateur, "It is a privilege for Benihana to celebrate its heritage and culture by offering this trip to our loyal customers."
In staying with the cultural theme, guests can experience a private
early morning tour of the famous Tsukiji fish market. In addition, they
will have a wide variety of optional tours to choose from including
enjoying a sake tasting, attending a sumo tournament and taking a
side trip to Mt. Fuji.
Benihana is proud to host this tour in conjunction with JALPAK and Pepsi. Space is limited. For additional information or
to reserve your place, go to www.gotokyo.jp or www.benihana.com or call 1-877-BENIHANA.
Gift card contest continued from page 10
the green on his first shot and probably expected to do no better than placing near the hole on his next shot, lucky to
make par. But imagine his delight when the ball rolled into the cup on his second shot! Abe felt the same way Carlsbad's win was like Woods' birdie, exceeding his expectations. Luck aside; Abe credits his crew with doing an excellent job of selling cards to guests. They were inspired when two loyal customers purchased $6,000 in gift cards the first
week of the contest, thus motivated to keep sales on a roll.
Torrance Manager Masa Yagi took a hands-on approach. Starting two weeks before Christmas, Yagi worked the front,
greeting diners with his customary smile and asking, "Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?" He then recommended a Benihana gift card instead of trip to the mall. He also left the front door unlocked between lunch and dinner
with a staffer available to sell cards, and posted a note on his business
hours sign stating, "If you need gift cards please come inside. We can
accommodate you."
Puente Hills Manager Andrew Wong was also proactive. He moved his gift
card poster outside during open hours, knowing that there are a lot of distractions once customers entered the store. This ensured guests would see
the poster as they arrived - plus it caught the eye of cars driving to other
businesses in the center. He also sponsored a daily competition among
servers for gift card sales. Prizes ranged from a California Roll to yakisoba
lunch, and his team enjoyed the challenge.
Andrew focused on a negative aspect of gift card sales and turned it into a
positive. Knowing that the credit card terminals get bogged down each holiday season due to a shared line, he utilized an idle phone line exclusively
for gift card sales. For a small fee ($80) a technician tapped into one of his
eight lines that normally is not used during the day. He completely eliminated complaints about slow service, making the purchase of a gift card a customer-friendly experience.
Managers across the nation continue working hard to make this program a success.
But why does Southern California always seem to lead?
"It's because we have the best managers," said Regional Manager Shugo Kanai. "Our managers work hard. Mr. Yagi,
for example, keeps his doors open to make it convenient for the customer instead of just for us. And our managers are
always in the restaurant to take care of our guests."
Ingenuity, competition, loyal customers and good management all worked in favor of gift card sales. But while having a
few tricks up your sleeve may help win a contest, the most important factor is no trick at all. Give every customer good
food, value and service, and they will want to pass the word on.
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