Restaurant and Food Service Blog

Mr. Aoki founded the theatrical Benihana chain of steakhouses, where Japanese chefs with flashing knives double as performers. His restaurants were key to bringing Japanese restaurants and acceptance to America. His restaurants were ahead of its time. The “theatre” of cooking food in front of the guests and making them feel a part of the action was sheer brilliance. Before Aoki opened up Benihana, most of the Japanese restaurants in America were tailor towards the Japanese population. Aoki changed all of that.

This larger than life figure loved to “cheat death.” From racing on power boats and sailing in hot air ballon races, Rocky was a man who loved living life.

Aoki is a true American success story. He came to the United States from Japan when he was 19, and several years later he opened the first restaurant with $10,000 he had earned selling ice cream out of a truck. Within seven years, he had expanded his empire to 15 restaurants.

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