Kata Robata Sushi & Grill

What Kata Robata Sushi & Grill does

Kata Robata Sushi & Grill is a privately held Japanese fine dining restaurant founded in 2009 by Executive Chef Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi, operating from a single location at 3600 Kirby Suite H in Houston, Texas. The restaurant serves traditional and modern Japanese cuisine with a core menu of sushi and sashimi (featuring fish flown in from Japan multiple times weekly), robata charcoal-grilled meats, and hot dishes, alongside an omakase chef's tasting menu experience available by reservation. Beverage offerings include one of the more extensive sake and Japanese whisky selections in Texas, supplemented by seasonal cocktails and a wine list.

The business is fundamentally chef-led and craft-driven, with Chef Hori's credentials (five-time James Beard Award nominee, Tsuji Culinary Institute graduate with fugu certification, Tokyo restaurant pedigree) forming the centerpiece of brand positioning. Kata Robata was named the No. 1 restaurant in Houston by the Houston Chronicle in 2019 and operates as a chef-owned independent with no disclosed institutional investment or parent company.

Kata Robata generates revenue through full-service dine-in (lunch and dinner service daily), take-out and curbside pickup via Toasttab online ordering, and reservations managed through Resy. Distribution is single-site and Houston-only; the only adjacent expansion is a sister restaurant, Katami, which operates as a separate concept under the same chef's vision. The technology stack is standard restaurant SaaS (Toasttab, Resy, BentoBox, Google Maps) with no proprietary platform, AI/ML capability, or data flywheel evident. The business employs approximately 29 people and serves a fine-dining enthusiast consumer segment with no disclosed enterprise or B2B customers.

Name

Kata Robata Sushi & Grill

Legal name

Kata Robata

Website

https://katarobata.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kata Robata is a Houston-based Japanese fine dining restaurant founded in 2009 by five-time James Beard Award nominee Chef Manabu Horiuchi, serving omakase, sushi, sashimi, and robata-grilled dishes from a single Upper Kirby location to fine-dining consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

akta.pro primary industry

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH)

Keywords

• Japanese restaurant dining
• Sushi and sashimi
• Omakase tasting menu
• Robata grill cuisine
• Sake and japanese whisky

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-In Service: Full-service restaurant dining with omakase chef's tasting menu experience, lunch and dinner service, and seasonal cocktail, wine, sake, and Japanese whisky offerings.
2. Take-Out and Curbside Pickup: Food and beverage orders placed online for customer pickup during designated hours, with no advance ordering currently accepted.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kata Robata is a full-service Japanese restaurant serving traditional and modern Japanese cuisine including sushi, sashimi, robata-grilled meats, and hot kitchen dishes. Its flagship offering is the omakase (chef's tasting menu) combining daily specials with restaurant classics, available by reservation. Beverage offerings include an extensive sake and Japanese whisky selection, seasonal cocktails, and a curated wine list. Operations encompass dine-in service, take-out pickup, and curbside delivery at the single Houston location.

Product overview

Kata Robata is a Japanese restaurant offering traditional and modern Japanese cuisine. The core offerings include fresh sushi and sashimi (flown in from Japan multiple times a week), robata-grilled meats, and hot dishes. The restaurant's flagship experience is the omakase (chef's tasting menu), which combines daily specials with Kata Robata classics. Beverage offerings include an extensive sake and Japanese whisky selection, seasonal cocktails, classic drinks, and a thoughtful wine list. The restaurant operates with separate lunch and dinner services, plus an all-day dining option on Sundays, with curbside take-out available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Katami: Sister restaurant showcasing Chef Hori's vision of the future of Japanese cuisine.

Products and services

• Omakase (Chef's Tasting Menu) Chef-curated tasting menu combining daily specials and Kata Robata classics, available by reservation as the restaurant's flagship premium dining experience.
• Sushi and Sashimi Sushi and sashimi selections featuring fresh fish flown in from Japan multiple times a week.
• Robata Grilled Meats Grilled meats prepared on the restaurant's namesake robata grill, complemented by the kitchen's hot dishes.
• Sake and Japanese Whisky Selection One of the finest selections of sake and Japanese whisky in Texas, served alongside other beverages.
• Seasonal Cocktails and Wine Seasonal cocktails, classic drinks, and a thoughtful wine list complementing the beverage offerings.
• Lunch Service Dedicated lunch service with a dedicated lunch menu available Monday-Friday 11:30am-3pm and Saturday noon-3pm.
• Take-Out and Curbside Pickup Food and beverage orders available for customer pickup through ToastTab online ordering during designated hours, with curbside pickup also offered. Orders can be placed during open hours only; advance ordering is not currently accepted.

Quantifiable outcome

• No. 1 restaurant in Houston (Houston Chronicle, 2019)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KatamiminorOthersKatami is described as the new sister restaurant of Kata Robata, showcasing Chef Hori's vision of the future of Japanese cuisine. It is a separate restaurant venture owned/operated by the same chef.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Musashi Japanese Restaurant: Long-standing Houston Japanese restaurant offering sushi, sashimi, and grilled items. Regional Houston competitor in the Japanese dining category with broader menu and lower price point than Kata Robata.
• Sushi Raku: Houston-based Japanese restaurant offering sushi, sashimi, and cooked Japanese dishes. Comparable regional Houston operator serving overlapping Japanese-dining demand at a slightly more casual tier.
• Soto (formerly Sushi Sake): Houston-area Japanese sushi restaurant with sashimi and traditional menu offerings. Regional competitor in the same Houston market serving Japanese-dining enthusiasts.
• Izakaya (Houston): Houston-based Japanese izakaya offering robata-style grilled items and sake. Comparable Japanese dining concept in the same Houston market, with overlap on robata grilling and beverage program.
• Kubo's Sushi Bar: Houston sushi restaurant where Chef Hori worked for eight years before founding Kata Robata. Comparable Houston sushi competitor with overlapping customer base and a strong local reputation.

Direct peers

• Katami: Sister restaurant to Kata Robata, also founded by Chef Hori in Houston. Closest comparable concept, sharing chef talent, sourcing relationships, and customer base, but positioned around modern Japanese cuisine.
• MF Sushi: Houston omakase-focused Japanese restaurant with a chef-driven tasting menu format. Competes directly for fine-dining Japanese diners in the same metro and similar high-end positioning.
• Uchi / Uchiko: Austin-born Japanese fine-dining group with a Houston location offering omakase, sushi, and robata-style grilled items. Direct competitor in the same market and category, with comparable price points and chef-driven positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Masa (Chef Masa Takayama): Iconic New York Japanese omakase restaurant, frequently cited as a benchmark for high-end Japanese tasting menus in the U.S. Comparable on omakase format, ingredient prestige, and chef-driven identity.
• Nobu Restaurants: Global Japanese fine-dining brand offering sushi, sashimi, and robata-style grilled items across many locations. Larger incumbent with overlapping menu categories and premium positioning, though not Houston-based.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kata-robata-sushi-&-grill

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 Kata Robata Sushi & Grill