What Yakiniku Like does

Yakiniku Like (焼肉ライク) is a Japanese fast-food yakiniku (Korean-style BBQ) restaurant chain founded on April 1, 2019, and headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. The company operates a '1人1台' (one person, one grill) solo-dining concept built around a proprietary smokeless roaster (無煙ロースター) that enables individual customers to grill meat at their own seat without smoke or odor concerns, eliminating the typical barrier of group-required traditional yakiniku. Sets (meat, Hitomebore rice, miso soup, kimchi) are served within three minutes of ordering, supported by standardized unit pricing starting at 890 yen for lunch sets.

The product surface includes the core fast-food yakiniku sets, a takeout bento program (from 690 yen) distributed through Uber Eats, Demae-can, and Rocket Now, and rotating premium sub-brands such as the Buyers Select rare-cut program (Kone, Hakama, Hormone 3-Type Assortment) and the Special Selection Series of nationally recognized wagyu (Saga, Omi, Sendai, Hida). Marketing is primarily organic social (X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook) supplemented by PayPay app coupon partnerships and seasonal campaigns. The chain operates 66+ stores domestically across all major Japanese regions and 131 stores internationally across 9 countries (Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, plus UK and USA), with a 24-hour format piloted in Shinjuku Kabukicho from August 2025.

The business model combines company-operated stores, franchise (FC) partner stores (actively recruited for road-side 30-60 tsubo and street-front 14-30 tsubo sites primarily in the Greater Tokyo area), franchise/licensing fees, and direct dine-in plus takeout/delivery transaction revenue. Customer segments span solo diners, business professionals, students (with ID-based discount programs), and late-night consumers. The company is privately held under the legal entity 株式会社焼肉ライク (YAKINIKU LIKE Ltd.) with formal CEO 高橋尚也 (Takahashi Naoya) and is operationally linked to the Dining Innovation group via joint use of personal information. There are no disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, or subsidiaries.

Name

Yakiniku Like

Legal name

株式会社焼肉ライク (YAKINIKU LIKE Ltd.)

Website

https://yakiniku-like.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Yakiniku Like is a Japanese fast-food yakiniku chain founded in 2019 that operates 66+ domestic and 131 international stores around a proprietary smokeless grill enabling solo indoor BBQ dining, serving individual diners with sets starting at 890 yen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining Sales: Revenue from dine-in customers at individual grills. Sets include yakiniku, rice, soup, and kimchi with free rice refills.
2. Takeout/Delivery: Bento boxes and takeout menu items sold for off-premise consumption through Uber Eats, Demae-can, and in-store pickup.
3. Franchise Fees: Franchise fee income from FC加盟店募集 (franchisee recruitment) for expanding store footprint through licensed operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Yakiniku Like operates a quick-service yakiniku restaurant chain where every seat is equipped with its own proprietary Smokeless Roaster (無煙ロースター), allowing one customer to grill meat individually without smoke or odor. The core product is the standardized yakiniku set (meat, Iwate Hitomebore rice, miso soup, kimchi) served within roughly 3 minutes of ordering, available at company-owned and franchise storefronts domestically in Japan and across 9 international markets.

Product overview

Yakiniku Like is a fast-food yakiniku restaurant chain built around a solo-dining model with one personal smokeless grill per seat. The core product is the yakiniku set (meat, Hitomebore rice, miso soup, kimchi), served in under 3 minutes. The offering spans three key areas: (1) Core restaurant experience featuring the smokeless grill and standard set menu; (2) Limited-edition premium sub-brands including the Buyers Select series (rare cuts like Kone, Hakama, Hormone 3-Type) and the Special Selection Series (premium wagyu brands: Saga Gyu, Omi Gyu, Sendai Gyu, Hida Gyu); and (3) Supplementary offerings including seasonal products (Spring Lamb, Spicy Challenge), the takeout bento program, the Chiba C-one hot pot series, and franchise store opening support. The Shinjuku Kabukicho 24-hour store represents a new operational format. All stores nationwide and across multiple international markets operate under the same core concept and smokeless roaster technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yakiniku Like Solo-Dining Restaurant Experience (焼肉ライク 一人焼肉) Standardized quick-service yakiniku offering centered on individual seating equipped with a personal smokeless grill; customers self-grill meat at their own pace. Sets include a meat portion, rice, miso soup, and kimchi with free rice refills; service targets under 3 minutes from order to plate for set menus. Sold through company-owned and franchise restaurants.
• Buyers Select Series (バイヤーズセレクション) Limited-edition, curator-driven sub-brand in which Yakiniku Like buyers personally source rare, seasonal, or hard-to-find meat cuts (e.g., Kone, Hakama from the diaphragm, Hormone 3-Type Assortment) and sell them at all stores for time-limited windows. Targeted at diners seeking rare cuts not routinely available at the chain.
• Special Selection Series (特撰焼肉シリーズ) Premium wagyu sub-brand offering nationally recognized Japanese beef brands at accessible chain-store pricing. Editions to date include Saga Gyu, Omi Gyu, Sendai Gyu, and Hida Gyu; products include signature Kalbi Sets and Kalbi & Top-Rost Sets, sold for limited two-month windows at all stores.
• Yakiniku Like Takeout Bento Menu (テイクアウト弁当) Ready-to-go bento boxes featuring Yakiniku Like's signature grilled meats paired with Iwate Prefecture Hitomebore rice, sold in-store and via delivery partners (Uber Eats, Demae-can, Rocket Now). Includes bulk-purchase volume discounts for off-premise consumption.
• Yakiniku Like Franchise (FC) Program Franchise offering under which Yakiniku Like recruits franchisees to open new stores in Japan, targeting street-front locations near major train stations (14–30 tsubo) and roadside formats (30–60 tsubo with parking) primarily in the Greater Tokyo (1都3県) area with nationwide recruitment. Franchisees receive site-selection guidance, opening support, and operational training from the parent Dining Innovation group.
• Spring Lamb Limited Sale (スプリングラム) Seasonal limited-period offering of Australian spring lamb (under 1 year old) shipped chilled to preserve milky flavor and juicy texture, presented across yakiniku and set formats at all stores for the campaign window.
• Spicy Challenge — Shou Iku (辛イク) Limited-time spicy challenge menu featuring Boot Jolokia-based sauces across four adjustable heat levels, sold at all stores for a defined period with set-menu options for stamina and thick-cut formats.
• Parent-Child Hot Pot Series (親子鍋シリーズ) — Chiba C-one exclusive Chiba C-one exclusive hot pot series using compact pots placed directly on the smokeless roaster for tableside cooking. Products include Fresh Pulkogi Set, Fresh Reba-nira Set, and Cheese Ttakuri Set, available only at the Chiba C-one store.
• Shinjuku Kabukicho 24-Hour Store (新宿歌舞伎町店) Yakiniku Like's first 24-hour operating restaurant location in Shinjuku Kabukicho, offering late-night and early-morning solo yakiniku service to night workers, tourists, and nightlife customers, with late-night discount menus and early-morning service.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Uber EatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 7 August 2025Delivery partner for takeout orders. Available at many store locations for bento delivery.
• ベル食品 (Bell Foods)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2025Collaboration on spring lamb (スプリングラム) promotion. Bell Foods provides '成吉思汗たれ' (Jingisukan sauce) for the seasonal lamb menu. Joint X campaign offering Bell Foods products as prizes.
• PayPayminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 April 2025PayPay app coupon campaign offering up to 5% cashback on lunch purchases (11:00-17:00) from April 7-30, 2025. Limited to 890円+ orders.
• 出前館 (Demae-can)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese delivery platform partner for takeout orders. Available at select store locations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Saizeriya (サイゼリヤ): Value-oriented Japanese-Italian family restaurant chain with broad domestic footprint. Comparable value-pricing, casual family/solo dining occasions in the Japanese QSR space, though a different cuisine category.

Broad incumbents

• Jojoen (叙々苑): Premium yakiniku chain known for high-end cuts and teppanyaki-style dining. Overlaps with Yakiniku Like on cuisine and Japanese market but operates at a higher price point and full-service orientation.
• Gyu-Kaku (牛角): Largest Japanese yakiniku chain (Colowide group) with a broader portfolio spanning family and premium offerings and global franchise presence. Overlapping target market and cuisine category, but a much wider product range and price tier.
• Yoshinoya (吉野家): Iconic Japanese fast-food beef bowl chain with global footprint. Comparable fast-casual, value-driven, beef-centric positioning and similar urban late-night daypart demand.
• Sukiya (すき家): Japan's largest gyudon (beef bowl) QSR chain (Zensho Holdings). Competes for the same quick, affordable, beef-centric meal occasions that Yakiniku Like targets with its 890-yen lunch sets.

Emerging players

• Ichiran (一蘭): Solo-dining ramen chain famous for individual booth seating and personal focused eating experience. Closest conceptual analog to Yakiniku Like's solo-dining thesis, though in a different cuisine category.
• Pepper Lunch (ペッパーランチ): Fast-casual Japanese chain where customers cook/prepare their meal on a sizzling hot plate at the table. Comparable DIY-table-grill format, solo diner appeal, and quick service model.

Direct peers

• Stamina Taro (すたみな太郎): Solo/individual-style yakiniku and stamina-don chain emphasizing high-volume, value-priced grilled meat meals. Closest direct comparable on the solo-eating, all-you-can-eat-ish grilled meat value proposition.
• Anrakutei (安楽亭): Long-established Kanto-focused yakiniku chain with company-operated and franchise stores. Comparable casual everyday yakiniku positioning and overlapping target customer base in the Greater Tokyo region.
• Yakiniku King (焼肉きんぐ): Major Japanese yakiniku buffet-style chain (operated by Daisyo Malican Group). Directly competitive in the casual everyday yakiniku segment with comparable price points, broad domestic footprint, and similar family/group-plus-solo positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/like_yakiniku
• Facebookfacebook.com/yaki29like
• Instagraminstagram.com/yakiniku_like
• TikToktiktok.com/@yakiniku_like
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yakiniku-like

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 Yakiniku Like