What is the ultimate parent entity of the Benihana franchise?
Benihana Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
Our ultimate parent entity, The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. ("The ONE Group") is a global hospitality company that develops and operates upscale and polished casual, highenergy restaurants and lounges and provides hospitality management services for hotels, casinos and other high-end venues both nationally and internationally. The ONE Group's focus is to be the global leader in Vibe Dining, and its primary restaurant brands are STK, a modern twist on the modern steakhouse, and Kona Grill, a polished casual, bar centric brand featuring American favorites, award-winning sushi, and specialty cocktails in an upscale casual atmosphere. ONE Hospitality, The ONE Group's food and beverage hospitality services business, provides the development, management, and operations for
premier restaurants and turn-key food and beverage services within high-end hotels and casinos.
We have never offered franchises for any other business.
Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR, ITS PARENTS, PREDECESSORS, AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 8–12)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Benihana's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the ultimate parent entity of Benihana National Corp. is The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. Benihana National Corp. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Benihana, Inc., which was acquired by Safflower Holdings Corp. in August 2012. In May 2024, Safflower Holdings Corp. was then acquired by TOG Kaizen Acquisition, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc.
The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. is described in the FDD as a global hospitality company that develops and operates upscale and polished casual, high-energy restaurants and lounges. They also provide hospitality management services for hotels, casinos, and other high-end venues both nationally and internationally. The ONE Group's primary restaurant brands are STK and Kona Grill.
For a prospective Benihana franchisee, this indicates that the financial stability and strategic direction of the Benihana franchise are closely tied to The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. As a publicly traded company on NASDAQ, The ONE Group's performance and decisions could directly or indirectly impact the Benihana franchise system. It also means that Benihana is part of a larger portfolio of hospitality brands, which could offer synergies or potential conflicts of interest.