Kookoo & Co

What Kookoo & Co does

Kookoo & Co (株式会社クークーアンドコー) is a privately-held Japanese corporation founded in November 1999 and headquartered in Osaka, Japan (Yodogawa-ku). The company operates a diversified portfolio across four business segments: (1) restaurant operations, led by the Steak Takeru steak-hamburger chain (8-10+ locations across the Kansai region featuring 1-pound steaks and a scarcity-driven 5-serving-per-day signature dish) and the reservation-only Yakitori Kagura brand using binchotan charcoal-grilled local chicken; (2) advertising and media production services including web design, print design, video/film editing, photography, and in-house TV program and event production (proprietary shows include Night Cruising, Pre-Mama, and Birthday Channel, aired on TV Osaka and affiliated networks); (3) welfare services providing employment support for people with disabilities through restaurant-based vocational training, recognized by the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education as a Support Education Company in March 2026; and (4) foreign talent services via a Cambodia subsidiary (kookooco.com) providing local market research and business development support.

The company employs approximately 100 staff and serves both individual consumers through its restaurant brands and corporate clients through its creative-services division; named B2B clients include Google Japan, Red Bull Japan, TV Osaka, Avex Entertainment, LDH, Universal Music, Futabasha, and Hyatt Regency Osaka. Revenue is generated through direct F&B sales at owned restaurant locations, professional services fees for advertising/media work, welfare/employment placement services, and foreign talent services. The company is led by Representative Director and President Omo Yasukata (尾茂弥 定), supported by Executive Officers Matsubara Atsushi (松原篤史) and Iwamoto Kanya (岩本萬彌). It maintains ¥10 million in registered capital, two banking relationships (Sumitomo Mitsui and MUFG), and operates with no disclosed external investor or parent company.

The underlying technology stack is standard web-based with no proprietary platform disclosed; no patents, AI/ML capabilities, or proprietary software are mentioned in source materials. The competitive advantage rests on physical restaurant distribution in prime Osaka commercial locations, ownership of original TV/media content that promotes the restaurant brands, government-backed disability-employment recognition, and cross-business synergies between creative services and F&B operations. The recruitment model offers diverse work styles (full-time store staff ¥260k+/month, store managers ¥350k–500k+/month, part-time ¥1,200–1,300/hour, short-hour positions ¥180k–240k/month, Central Kitchen staff, and welfare site managers ¥250k–350k/month) with three salary reviews per year and biannual bonuses.

Name

Kookoo & Co

Legal name

株式会社kookoo&co

Website

https://kookoo.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kookoo & Co is a privately-held Osaka-based corporation operating the Steak Takeru restaurant chain (10+ Kansai locations), a creative advertising/media production agency, a welfare/employment-support business for people with disabilities, and foreign talent services via a Cambodia subsidiary, serving both consumer diners and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Chain Operations

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Burger QSR (THAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Restaurant chain operations
• Advertising agency services
• Media production services
• Welfare employment services
• Creative design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka-shi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Operations (Steak Takeru & Yakitori Kagura): Operates 10+ steak hamburger and yakitori restaurant locations in Kansai and Tokyo regions. Revenue generated from dine-in food and beverage sales.
2. Advertising & Media Production Services: Provides advertising agency services, TV program and event production, video/film editing, photography, DTP/print design, web design, and business promotion services to corporate clients.
3. Welfare & Staffing Services: Welfare business providing employment support for people with disabilities through restaurant operations. Also licensed for worker dispatch/employment placement services.
4. Foreign Human Resources (Cambodia): Local subsidiary in Cambodia providing foreign human resource services, local market research, and business consultation support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kookoo & Co operates the Steak Takeru chain of 10 casual steak hamburger restaurants in the Kansai region and the reservation-only Yakitori Kagura yakitori brand. The company also provides advertising agency, print/web design, photography, video editing, TV program and event production services to corporate clients, welfare-based employment support for people with disabilities through restaurant operations, and foreign human resource services via a Cambodia subsidiary.

Product overview

Kookoo & Co is a diversified Osaka-based company operating multiple business segments. Its primary offerings include the restaurant chains Steak Takeru (a 10-store steak hamburger chain in Kansai) and Yakitori Kagula (a reservation-only yakitori restaurant), along with welfare services for employment support. The company also provides business services including advertising/promotion, print and design production, web development, photography, video production, TV program and event production, and foreign talent services. The portfolio includes both consumer-facing restaurant brands and B2B professional services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 1ポンドのステーキハンバーグ タケル (Steak Takeru): Steak hamburger chain with 10 locations in Kansai region, known for 1-pound steaks and affordable prices. Featured in TV and magazine media.
• やきとり神楽 (Yakitori Kagura)
• BEEFTIFUL LIFE

Products and services

• Steak Takeru (1ポンドのステーキハンバーグ タケル) Steak hamburger chain with 10 locations across the Kansai region offering 1-pound steak meals, horse meat dishes, and limited-quantity (5 servings/day) signature items for individual casual dining customers.
• Yakitori Kagura (やきとり 神楽) Reservation-only yakitori restaurant offering carefully selected local chicken grilled over binchotan charcoal in a refined, relaxed atmosphere for individual diners seeking premium yakitori.
• Welfare Business (福祉事業) Employment support services for people with disabilities delivered through restaurant-based vocational training programs, helping participants achieve self-reliance and social integration. The company is also licensed for worker dispatch and employment placement services.
• Business Promotion (ビジネスプロモーション) Advertising and restaurant visual production services including advertising strategy, media expansion, logo design, signage, and menu design for corporate clients, particularly food and beverage operators.
• Print and Design Production (印刷物・デザイン&制作) Design and production services for corporate brochures, flyers, tapestries, and other printed marketing materials delivered to corporate clients.
• Website Production (ホームページ制作) Website design and development services focused on creating clear, user-friendly sites that achieve clients' business goals for corporate customers.
• Photography Services (写真撮影) Professional photography services for food, products, interiors, and portraits delivered by experienced photographers to corporate clients.
• Video and Film Editing (動画・映像編集) Professional video editing services from storyboard proposal to final production, including consultation on internet utilization, delivered to corporate clients.
• TV Program and Event Production (TV番組・イベント制作・放映) TV program production including music shows (Night Cruising), lifestyle programs (Pre-Mama), web programs (Birthday Channel), and event planning from conception to execution and broadcast, delivered to corporate clients and media partners.
• Foreign Talent Services (外国人人材) Foreign human resource services operated through a Cambodia local subsidiary, providing local market research, inspection support, and on-the-ground business development assistance for Japanese companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Steak Takeru limits to 5 servings per day of signature dishes, creating scarcity and media buzz
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered key and standard.

• テレビ大阪株式会社keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerTV Osaka is a major client and media partner. The company produces and airs TV programs on TV Osaka and related networks (TV Wakayama, TV Setouchi), creating synergistic media relationships.
• 大阪府教委keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerOsaka Prefectural Board of Education partnered with the company for disability employment workplace training programs, leading to the March 2026 Support Education Company award.
• 明治乳業株式会社関西支社standardOthersMajor dairy and food product supplier to the restaurant operations.
• 日本ハム株式会社standardOthersMeat product supplier for restaurant operations.
• 伊藤ハム株式会社standardOthersHam and meat product supplier for restaurant operations.
• 丸大食品株式会社standardOthersProcessed meat and food product supplier for restaurant operations.
• レッドブル・中株式会社standardOthersEnergy drink and corporate event sponsor/partner.
• Google株式会社standardOthersDigital advertising and technology services client. The company uses Google's advertising and web services for its own operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Skylark Holdings: Skylark Holdings operates large Japanese family-restaurant chains (Jonathan's, Gusto, Bamiyan, Yumean). Comparable to Steak Takeru on casual Japanese dining and broad geographic footprint, with significantly larger scale and corporate backing.
• Saizeriya: Saizeriya is one of Japan's largest casual family-restaurant chains with thousands of locations. Comparable to Steak Takeru on the casual-dining price tier and Kansai/Tokyo footprint, though with a much broader Italian-centric menu.

Direct peers

• Bronco Billy: Bronco Billy is a Japan-wide casual steak chain with dozens of locations, specializing in grilled red-meat set meals. Comparable to Steak Takeru on cuisine, casual-dining format, and Japanese urban-metro customer base, with larger scale and broader footprint.
• Toritama: Toritama is a leading Japanese yakitori chain specializing in charcoal-grilled chicken. Directly comparable to Kookoo's Yakitori Kagura brand on cuisine (premium yakitori), charcoal-grilling technique, and Japanese izakaya customer segment.
• Ikinari Steak: Ikinari Steak is one of Japan's largest casual steak chains (founded 2013), serving cut-steak meals in a fast, counter-service format. Directly comparable to Steak Takeru on cuisine (red-meat focus), service style, value-price positioning, and Japanese urban-metro customer base.
• Big Boy Japan: Big Boy operates a large chain of family-style steak and hamburger restaurants across Japan. Comparable to Steak Takeru on hamburger-steak menu focus, family/casual-dining service, and Kansai-area presence.
• Pepper Lunch: Pepper Lunch is a Japanese-origin casual steak-on-a-hot-plate chain operating globally. Comparable to Steak Takeru on casual steak positioning, sizzling-plate format, value-price tier, and Japanese consumer base; both compete for the same lunch/dinner occasion.
• Steak Aka: Steak Aka is a Japanese steak-hamburger chain offering affordable red-meat hamburg steaks in a similar format to Steak Takeru. Operates multiple Kansai-area locations with overlapping target customer, cuisine category, and price point.
• Yoronotaki: Yoronotaki is a major nationwide yakitori izakaya chain. Comparable to Yakitori Kagura on yakitori menu, casual Japanese dining format, and reservation/walk-in service model.

Others

• Hakuhodo DY Holdings: Hakuhodo DY is Japan's largest advertising agency group. Relevant to Kookoo's secondary advertising/media-production business and to comparable TV-program production capabilities, though operating at vastly larger scale across all media formats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Kookoo & Co