Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

What Kobe Japanese Steakhouse does

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse is a family-owned restaurant chain operating 13 teppanyaki (hibachi) locations across Central Florida, spanning from Orlando to Tampa. Founded in 1984 in Altamonte Springs by Doi Tan Nguyen and his son Chau Nguyen, the business is currently led by Chau Nguyen as principal owner, with a multi-generational ownership structure that includes his children, nieces, and long-tenured employees. The company employs 501-1,000 people and operates under a direct-to-consumer model targeting Florida families celebrating special occasions, Orlando and Tampa metro local diners, tourists visiting Disney World, Universal Studios, and other regional attractions, UCF students, and corporate and large-group event clients.

The company's core product is the teppanyaki dining experience, in which trained chefs prepare steak, seafood, and chicken on iron grills tableside with theatrical showmanship (signature tricks include the Beating Heart, Egg Roll, and Onion Volcano). This is supplemented by a full sushi program (signature rolls, nigiri, sashimi, poke bowls), an extensive cocktail and sake beverage program, and a traditional dining room option for guests preferring the same menu without the hibachi show. The menu spans teppanyaki entrees to premium A5 Japanese Wagyu at the highest price points, with check averages cited at $30-50 per person and $75+ with drinks. Operational technology consists of OpenTable for reservations, ToastTab for online ordering and POS, DoorDash for third-party delivery, and a Kobe Rewards mobile loyalty program on iOS and Android.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: dine-in food and beverage at all 13 locations, takeout and delivery via ToastTab and DoorDash, off-site catering for events, private banquet events for groups of 11+ guests with tiered menu packages (Bamboo, Koi, Torii, Fuji, Little Samurai), and physical and digital gift cards. Pricing is transaction-based with location-dependent happy hour pricing, a $500 minimum for private table reservations, and a 20% operations charge added for parties of 6+ and on major holidays. The company is privately held, has no disclosed parent or institutional investors, and has not raised any funding rounds.

Name

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

Legal name

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

Website

https://kobesteakhouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse is a family-owned chain operating 13 teppanyaki hibachi restaurants across Central Florida, serving families, tourists visiting Disney and Universal, UCF students, and corporate event clients with tableside chef entertainment, sushi, and banquet services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Steakhouse / Teppanyaki Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

Keywords

• Japanese teppanyaki dining
• Hibachi steakhouse restaurant
• Private event catering
• Takeout and delivery
• Central Florida dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Altamonte Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Food & Beverage Sales: Core revenue from teppanyaki entrees, sushi, cocktails, sake, beer, and wine sold at 13 Florida restaurant locations. Menu includes premium items like A5 Japanese Wagyu beef.
2. Catering Services: Catering orders for events including weddings, birthdays, corporate events, graduations, and parties. Orders via ToastTab platform for pickup or delivery.
3. Banquet & Private Events: Private event hosting with menu packages (Bamboo, Koi, Torii, Fuji, Little Samurai) for parties of 11+ guests, with semi-private and full restaurant buy-out options.
4. Online Ordering & Takeout: Takeout and delivery orders via ToastTab platform and DoorDash delivery partnership.
5. Gift Cards & eGifts: Physical and electronic gift card sales available at all 13 locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse runs a chain of Japanese teppanyaki/hibachi-style steakhouses in Central Florida, serving table-side grilled Japanese cuisine along with sushi and bar service. Beyond dine-in, the restaurants offer takeout, delivery, catering, and private-event hosting across 13 locations spanning Orlando to Tampa.

Product overview

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse is a family-owned-and-operated restaurant chain operating 13 locations across Central Florida (Orlando/Tampa markets). The core offering is an entertainment-driven Teppanyaki (hibachi) dining experience where chefs cook meals tableside on iron grills with theatrical flair. The product portfolio centers on this Teppanyaki Dining Experience supplemented by a full sushi program, signature cocktails and beverages, and Traditional Dining Room seating (same food without the show). Additional revenue streams include Private Events and Banquets (with four tiered menu packages), Catering Services for off-site events, a Kobe Rewards Loyalty Program with birthday incentives, Online Ordering via Toast Tab, and eGift Cards. The company positions itself as 'Florida's Premier Japanese Steakhouse,' combining authentic Japanese cuisine with interactive entertainment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mai Hana Hotel: Japanese-inspired hotel located near International Drive in Orlando, offering accommodations and room service from Kobe Steakhouse.

Products and services

• Dine-in teppanyaki/hibachi experience Table-side Japanese teppanyaki and hibachi dining featuring grilled steak, chicken, seafood, and vegetables prepared by a chef at the table, served alongside sushi and bar offerings, for individual consumers, families, and groups at any of the 13 Central Florida locations.
• Takeout / to-go orders Pickup service allowing customers to order Japanese steakhouse menu items for off-premise consumption from any of the 13 locations, targeting local consumers seeking restaurant-quality meals at home.
• Delivery service Delivery of teppanyaki and Japanese steakhouse menu items to customers' homes or offices in the Central Florida service area, supporting consumers who prefer restaurant dining without on-site seating.
• Catering services Catering of Japanese steakhouse food for off-site events such as corporate functions, parties, and group gatherings across the Central Florida region, available to event hosts and organizations of varying sizes.
• Private event hosting Hosting of private parties, celebrations, and corporate group events at the restaurant locations, leveraging teppanyaki entertainment and group seating to provide an event venue option across the 13-location footprint.

Quantifiable outcome

• Full-time Teppanyaki Chefs earn approximately $68,000 gross annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mai Hana HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated hotel brand offering Kobe employees an employee discount program. The Mai Hana Hotel near International Drive offers room service from Kobe Steakhouse, allowing hotel guests to order Kobe food directly to their rooms. Marketing partnership includes co-promotion on Kobe website with special hotel stay offers.
• OpenTablecoreTechnology or IntegrationReservation platform integration allowing customers to book tables at all 13 Kobe Japanese Steakhouse locations online. Critical channel for driving confirmed reservations and managing seating capacity.
• ToastTabcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ordering platform for dine-in, takeout, and catering orders across all 13 locations. Provides POS integration and online ordering infrastructure for restaurant operations.
• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership enabling home delivery of Kobe menu items from all 13 Florida locations. Critical for reaching customers who prefer dining at home.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sushi Zushi: Japanese restaurant chain combining sushi and hibachi/teppanyaki offerings, competing in the same experiential Japanese dining category with similar price points and family-oriented appeal.
• Shogun Japanese Steakhouse: Multi-location Japanese teppanyaki steakhouse operating in the U.S. Southeast, offering tableside hibachi entertainment comparable to Kobe's core format for families and group celebrations.
• Benihana: The largest U.S. Japanese teppanyaki/hibachi steakhouse chain, offering the same tableside chef entertainment dining format. Direct head-to-head competitor for hibachi experiences, group celebrations, and family outings.
• Kabuki Japanese Restaurant: Regional Japanese steakhouse and sushi chain offering teppanyaki hibachi tableside cooking. Overlaps with Kobe on hibachi experience, sushi menu, and family/group dining occasions.
• Ginza Japanese Steakhouse: U.S. Southeast-based Japanese teppanyaki steakhouse chain with full sushi bar and hibachi tables. Directly comparable operating model targeting similar family and group celebration occasions.

Broad incumbents

• Outback Steakhouse: Large national casual-dining steakhouse chain. Comparable on steakhouse positioning and family dining occasions but offers a broader, more standardized menu without the teppanyaki showmanship element.
• P.F. Chang's: National Asian full-service restaurant chain. Comparable on full-service Asian cuisine, group dining, and banquet/event hosting, but operates in Chinese (not Japanese) cuisine without hibachi tableside cooking.
• Bonefish Grill: Regional casual-dining seafood chain with strong Florida presence. Comparable on premium casual dining, Florida footprint density, and group/celebratory occasion targeting.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: National premium steakhouse chain with broader steakhouse focus but no hibachi entertainment. Comparable on premium beef offering, white-tablecloth service, and banquet/private event revenue mix.

Emerging players

• The Melting Pot: Experiential fondue restaurant chain offering interactive tableside cooking. Not Japanese, but directly comparable on the experiential entertainment-dining value proposition, group celebrations, and private event revenue mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kobe-steakhouse-125507624162625
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kobe-japanese-steakhouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/kobesteakhouse
• Xx.com/kobe_steakhouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kobe Japanese Steakhouse