Niku Steakhouse

What Niku Steakhouse does

Niku Steakhouse is a 60-seat fine-dining Japanese steakhouse located in San Francisco's Design District, founded in 2019 as part of the Omakase Restaurant Group. The restaurant centers on a wood-fired binchotan charcoal grill and an in-house dry-aging program applied to Japanese A5 wagyu, with butchery led by Head Butcher Guy Crims and overall culinary direction by Executive Chef Dustin Falcon. Service operates Sun-Thu from 5-9pm and Fri-Sat from 5-10pm, and the kitchen is supported by an adjacent retail counter, The Butcher Shop by Niku, which extends the wagyu and dry-aging program off-premise.

The business model is anchored on à la carte fine dining with small plates priced at $21-$36 and signature wagyu mains at $135-$300+, complemented by a wine program of more than 450 labels and a cocktail list. Off-premise and ancillary revenue comes from The Butcher Shop by Niku retail counter, gift cards distributed through Toast Tab, and private event bookings managed via the TripleSeat platform. Reservations and visibility are supported by OpenTable and Michelin One Star recognition (held 2021-2024), alongside a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and a #21 ranking on World's 101 Best Steakhouses.

Customer concentration is on affluent individual diners in the San Francisco market, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B accounts. Distribution is single-site, with growth optionality centered on brand-extension and ancillary channels (butcher retail, private events, gift cards) rather than announced geographic expansion.

Name

Niku Steakhouse

Legal name

Niku Steakhouse

Website

https://nikusteakhouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Niku Steakhouse is a 60-seat Michelin-starred Japanese steakhouse in San Francisco's Design District serving premium A5 wagyu via a wood-fired binchotan grill and in-house dry-aging, with adjacent butcher retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Steakhouse

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG), Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF)

Keywords

• Fine dining steakhouse
• Japanese wagyu beef
• Dry-aged beef
• Private dining events
• Michelin-starred restaurant

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Service: Traditional fine dining restaurant revenue from food and beverage sales during service. Customers pay per meal on a per-transaction basis with tasting menus and à la carte options. Wine, cocktails, and beverages sold as upsell.
2. Private Events & Buyouts: Revenue from private dining room bookings (6-14 guests) and full restaurant buyouts (up to 85 guests) with specialized tasting menus and beverage reception options.
3. Beverage Service: Wine, whiskey, and cocktail sales including premium Japanese and Scottish whisky offerings with 450+ wine selections. Corkage fee of $80 for outside bottles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Niku Steakhouse is a Michelin One Star fine dining restaurant serving Japanese A5 wagyu and dry-aged beef over a custom wood-fired binchotan charcoal grill, paired with seasonal small plates and a 450+ wine and rare whisky program. The restaurant offers à la carte dining, tasting menus, private dining rooms for 6-14 guests, and full restaurant buyouts for up to 85 guests. The adjacent Butcher Shop by Niku supports in-house sourcing of rare Japanese wagyu varieties.

Product overview

Niku Steakhouse operates as a single unified restaurant concept with multiple dining experiences. The core offering is the main dining room centered around a wood-fired binchotan charcoal grill, supplemented by the Chef's Counter for immersive grill-side seating, and High Top Lounge Tables for casual bar-area dining. Adjacent to the restaurant, The Butcher Shop by Niku provides dedicated wagyu sourcing and specialty cuts. For private events, the venue offers a Private Dining Room (7-14 guests) and Full Restaurant Buyout options (up to 85 guests). The overall portfolio includes dining experiences, event spaces, and a retail butcher operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Niku Steakhouse Dining Experience Michelin-starred fine dining steakhouse serving Japanese A5 wagyu, dry-aged beef, and seasonal small plates over a custom wood-fired binchotan grill, with a 450+ wine and rare whisky program, for individual diners and couples.
• Private Dining Room Private dining space for parties of 6-14 guests featuring a 4-course or 5-course Chef's Tasting Menu with curated wine selection, for corporate events and private celebrations.
• Full Restaurant Buyout Exclusive venue rental providing access to the bar, private dining room, and main dining room for up to 65 seated guests or 85 cocktail reception guests.
• The Butcher Shop by Niku Adjacent butcher shop sourcing and selling rare Japanese wagyu varieties, including Kagawa olive wagyu, for retail customers and the restaurant's kitchen.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Butcher Shop by NikucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent butcher shop enabling restaurant to utilize head butcher Guy Crims' expertise in wagyu sourcing. Crims regularly travels to Japan to source rare wagyu varieties such as Kagawa olive wagyu (from cattle raised on toasted olive pulp) rarely seen in the United States. Provides exclusive access to premium wagyu cuts for the restaurant.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alexander's Steakhouse: San Francisco Japanese-influenced steakhouse also emphasizing wagyu and premium cuts with a comparable fine-dining steakhouse model; Niku's binchotan grill and wagyu program position it as the closest SF-Bay peer in the Japanese-American steakhouse niche.
• Lazy Bear: San Francisco tasting-menu restaurant where Executive Chef Dustin Falcon previously served as sous chef; both share Michelin-level tasting-menu positioning in the SF market and operate under the same chef-talent pool.
• CUT by Wolfgang Puck: Beverly Hills steakhouse from Wolfgang Puck also recognized among the world's best steakhouses; both compete for affluent diners seeking premium wagyu and classic steakhouse experiences with strong beverage programs.
• Quince: San Francisco Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant also emphasizing Northern California seasonality; comparable fine-dining positioning and shared SF luxury dining customer base with Niku.

Broad incumbents

• Benu: San Francisco Three Michelin Star fine dining restaurant; competes for the same affluent, experience-driven SF diners and operates in the same Michelin-tier tasting-menu category.
• Mastro's Steakhouse: Upscale national steakhouse chain with strong beverage program and lively dining rooms; competes for the same premium steakhouse occasions at slightly lower price points than Niku's A5 wagyu experience.
• The French Laundry: Thomas Keller's Yountville flagship where Niku's Executive Chef Dustin Falcon trained; comparable Michelin-level tasting-menu positioning and chef-pedigree-driven brand equity, though broader fine dining rather than steakhouse-specific.
• Peter Luger Steak House: Iconic NYC steakhouse ranked on World's 101 Best Steakhouses lists; comparable in brand stature and steakhouse category leadership, though differentiated by East Coast dry-aged beef tradition versus Niku's Japanese wagyu focus.

Others

• The Butcher Shop by Niku: Wholly-owned adjacent butcher shop; while not a peer restaurant, it is operationally integrated and competes in the specialty wagyu retail segment with other premium butchers (e.g., Western Prime, A Cut Above).
• Omakase Restaurant Group Concepts: Other Omakase Restaurant Group restaurants in the SF Bay Area; sibling concepts sharing ownership, back-office, and customer overlap that compete for share-of-wallet within the same parent group's clientele.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/niku-steakhouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Niku Steakhouse