Taormina Restaurant

What Taormina Restaurant does

Taormina Sicilian Cuisine is a single-location fine dining restaurant operating in the Waikiki Beach Walk district of Honolulu, Hawaii. Founded in 2007 as the first overseas concept restaurant for WDI International, Inc. (a subsidiary of Japan-based WDI Corporation, which operates more than 200 restaurants globally), Taormina serves authentic Southern Sicilian cuisine inspired by the coastal village of Taormina in Sicily. The restaurant operates daily with lunch service from 11am to 2pm and dinner from 5pm to 8:30pm (last seating), accommodating both walk-in and reservation traffic managed through OpenTable.

The restaurant's core offering centers on fresh Sicilian-style pastas, seafood, prime meats, and seasonal dishes prepared by Executive Chef Hiroyuki Mimura (appointed June 2010) using pure extra virgin olive oil rather than heavy sauces. A signature differentiator is the wine program curated by Honorary Master Sommelier Roberto Viernes, featuring more than 125 Italian wine selections — described as Hawaii's most diverse Italian wine collection. The physical space includes indoor dining, an open kitchen design, an outdoor covered terrace (capacity ~35), a mezzanine (capacity ~24), and a wine cellar, all designed by Peter Vincent & Associates.

Taormina generates revenue from three primary streams: on-premise dining (lunch and dinner à la carte), off-premise catering launched in 2012 (BBQ, buffet, and course-style service with quote-based pricing), and wedding/event hosting anchored by the Trinacria Collection 5-course tasting menu at $120 per person, supplemented by flower packages (Sunflower, Bella, Jolie themes from partner florist Atelier Deux Feuille) and beverage upgrade options. The restaurant maintains bilingual English/Japanese content to serve Japanese tourist clientele and operates as a privately-held entity under WDI International, Inc., with a lean headcount of approximately 7 employees. Distribution is direct-to-consumer with the physical Waikiki location as the sole retail channel and OpenTable as the core reservation/booking platform.

Name

Taormina Restaurant

Legal name

Taormina Sicilian Cuisine

Website

https://taorminarestaurant.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Taormina is a single-location Sicilian fine dining restaurant in Waikiki Beach Walk, Honolulu, serving authentic Southern Sicilian cuisine, a 125+ selection Italian wine program, and wedding/catering services to tourists, locals, and event clients since 2007 under WDI International.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Italian Fine Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD), Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

Keywords

• Sicilian fine dining
• Italian restaurant
• Wedding catering services
• Wine cellar dining
• Private event hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: On-site dining service offering lunch (11am-2pm) and dinner (5pm-8:30pm) with indoor and outdoor terrace seating. Revenue generated per transaction from food and beverage sales, with an 18-20% service charge customary in the US.
2. Catering Services: Off-premise catering launched in 2012, offering BBQ, buffet, and course-style service for events from intimate gatherings to large parties. Pricing is quote-based and negotiable based on budget.
3. Wedding Packages: Wedding reception packages including Trinacria Collection 5-course tasting menu ($120/person), kids course ($45), flower decorations ($200+), and champagne toast options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Taormina Restaurant operates a full-service Sicilian fine dining establishment in Waikiki Beach Walk, Honolulu, offering lunch and dinner daily featuring Southern Sicilian cuisine with fresh pastas, seafood, and prime meats prepared in pure extra virgin olive oil. The restaurant supplements its dine-in service with wedding reception hosting (including the Trinacria Collection 5-course tasting menu) and off-premise catering services for events of all sizes.

Product overview

Taormina Restaurant is a single-location Sicilian cuisine restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii offering dine-in services across multiple venues (indoor dining, terrace seating, and mezzanine). The restaurant operates as a unified dining establishment with integrated ancillary services including wedding reception hosting and catering. The core product is Sicilian fine dining service supplemented by wedding packages (Trinacria Collection, flower decorations), catering services (BBQ, Buffet, Course styles), and private event spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sicilian Cuisine Dining Full-service Sicilian restaurant offering lunch (11am-2pm) and dinner (5pm-8:30pm) service featuring Southern Sicilian cuisine with fresh pastas, seafoods, and meats prepared in pure extra virgin olive oil. Open daily with indoor and outdoor terrace seating.
• Wedding Reception Services
• Catering Services Off-premise catering service launched in 2012, offering BBQ, Buffet, and Course style service categories. Executive Chef creates specialized menus per event with prices negotiable based on budget. Serves intimate gatherings to large events.
• Private Dining Spaces
• Trinacria Collection Tasting Menu A 5-course signature tasting menu created by Executive Chef Hiroyuki Mimura featuring his standout Sicilian dishes, offered as part of the wedding package and select dining experiences.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WDI International, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Parent company and operator of Taormina Sicilian Cuisine. Taormina is the first concept restaurant for WDI International, a subsidiary of WDI Corporation which operates over 200 restaurants globally. WDI provides the operational infrastructure, brand backing, and restaurant management expertise.
• Appetito WaikikiminorOthersSister restaurant under the same chef/producer (Chef Hiro Mimura) located in Waikiki, promoting cross-visitation between the two dining establishments. Referenced on Taormina's website as 'Come join us at our sister restaurant!'
• Master Sommelier Roberto ViernescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHonorary Master Sommelier who curated Taormina's wine program featuring over 125 Italian wine selections, representing Hawaii's most diverse Italian wine collection. Provides ongoing wine expertise and selection curation.
• Atelier Deux FeuilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPopular Hawaii florist collaborating with Taormina on wedding packages, providing flower decorations including Sunflower, Bella, and Jolie themed arrangements for wedding receptions.
• OpenTablecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline reservation platform powering Taormina's booking system, enabling diners to make reservations online with confirmation via email. Reservations link directly to Taormina's profile.
• Embassy Suites and Wyndham HotelminorOthersNeighboring hotels providing validated valet parking for Taormina guests. Parking is free until 3pm with validation; $8 for 4 hours after 3pm with validation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Appetito Waikiki: Sister restaurant to Taormina under Executive Chef Hiro Mimura, also in Waikiki. Comparable through shared chef, sourcing, and customer base; cross-promoted on the Taormina site.

Direct peers

• Andiamo Ristorante Italiano: Italian fine-dining restaurant in Honolulu with comparable lunch and dinner service, pasta-and-seafood menu, and event hosting. Competes for the same Italian fine-dining guest in Honolulu.
• Il Lupino Trattoria & Wine Bar: Italian restaurant in the Ward Village / Honolulu area focused on fresh pastas and an Italian-leaning wine list. Comparable in cuisine style and Honolulu fine-dining positioning.
• Ferraro's Bar e Ristorante: Italian fine-dining venue at The Kahala Hotel in Honolulu. Comparable in Northern Italian / Sicilian-influenced cuisine, hotel-adjacent tourist catchment, and special-occasion positioning.
• Sarento's Top of the Ilikai: Long-established Italian fine-dining restaurant in Waikiki with panoramic views and a similar special-occasion / wedding clientele. Comparable in cuisine category, price tier, and tourist-driven demand profile.
• Vintage Vine: Wine-focused restaurant in Honolulu with a curated wine program and Italian/Mediterranean plates. Comparable through its wine-led value proposition, paralleling Taormina's Master Sommelier program.
• Arancino: Italian fine-dining operator with multiple locations in Honolulu and Waikiki. Direct competitor offering upscale Italian cuisine, prix-fixe menus, and private dining in the same geography and price tier as Taormina.

Broad incumbents

• Hard Rock Cafe Honolulu: Large-format themed restaurant in the Waikiki trade area operated by WDI Corporation in Japan. Comparable as a high-traffic Waikiki dining destination serving tourists with full table service.
• Wolfgang Steakhouse: Sibling brand operated by WDI Corporation (parent of WDI International, Taormina's owner). Operates upscale steakhouses globally and shares the same corporate infrastructure, supplier relationships, and hospitality positioning.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House (Honolulu): Upscale American steakhouse chain operating in Honolulu. Competes for special-occasion and tourist fine-dining spend in a similar price tier, even though cuisine is steakhouse rather than Italian.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/taormina-restaurant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Taormina Restaurant