Newly Remodeled San Francisco Hotspot Adds Sushi Bar and Cocktail Lounge

MIAMI, June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Benihana San Francisco has added a sushi bar and remodeled its cocktail lounge to perfectly complement its long-standing tradition of flashing knives and sizzling steaks in the Teppanyaki dining room.

The new full-service sushi bar offers a wide array of savory nigiri, temaki and maki rolls as well as several innovative items from their new lounge menu. Guests can dine at the eight-seat sushi counter and interact with their sushi chef, or they may opt for appetizers or an entire meal in the spacious 64-seat cocktail lounge.

"We are thrilled to unveil the exciting new look at Benihana San Francisco. People are discovering that we now have a destination lounge instead of simply a waiting area. Not only is it a great place for drinks and dinner after work, but it's a perfect dining choice for a delicious and healthy lunch," said Phil Andre, general manager of Benihana San Francisco.

To conceptualize and execute the redesign, Benihana partnered with Innovation & Design in Architecture (IDA), a full service architectural design firm comprised of award-winning architects and designers.

"Our intent was to create energy, excitement and synergy between the sushi bar, cocktail lounge and Teppanyaki dining room," said Joshua Cool, president of IDA.  "The existing lounge was redesigned with the focus on a very dynamic central 'U'-shaped cocktail bar. The bar is wrapped in wood with granite counter top, and a lowered bar soffit to give it over-riding presence and allow it to take center stage in the lounge," said Cool.

Once inside guests are greeted at a contemporary reception desk featuring bold colors and a clean line representative of Japanese simplicity. A Maneki Neko, or good fortune cat, welcomes guests upon their arrival.

"IDA relocated the host stand between the two entries for a more balanced and unified waiting area. The burnished red tile back focal wall is symbolic of the rising sun," said Cool. 

A Japantown landmark for over 30 years, Benihana San Francisco is located just steps from the famous Peace Plaza Memorial which daily draws tourists and locals alike. Diners may enter Benihana from Post St. or from within the Kintetsu Mall, a mecca for the flavors, sights and sounds of Asia in the heart of San Francisco's Japanese-American community.

Benihana San Francisco offers Happy Hour every Monday through Thursday from 4-7 p.m. in the sushi bar and lounge.  Sake, beer, wine and specialty cocktails are available starting at $2. The Happy Hour menu boasts specials on sushi and other small bites, including new and distinctively-styled dishes such as sashimi ceviche, crispy spicy tuna, chili shrimp roll and Benihana fish tacos.

Benihana's traditional Teppanyaki dining room features 20 hibachi grills where guests are seated communal style before performing chefs. Steak, chicken, seafood and vegetables are cooked to sizzling perfection in the tradition that has made Benihana a legend.

For more information, visit www.benihana.com.

About Benihana
Headquartered in Miami, Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ GS: BNHN) is the nation's leading operator of Japanese theme and sushi restaurants with 95 restaurants nationwide, including 62 Benihana restaurants, eight Haru sushi restaurants and 25 RA Sushi restaurants. In addition, 16 franchised Benihana restaurants are operating in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. To learn more about Benihana Inc. and its three restaurant concepts, please view the corporate video at www.benihana.com/about/video.  

SOURCE Benihana Inc.