Q1. What are the differences between Benihana’s production process and that of a typical restaurant? How do these differences affect a customer’s service experience.
1. Benihana’s business model was revolutionary. Much of this was due to its outstanding process design combined with a novel re-conceptualization of restaurant marketing. The idea of having a chef prepare a meal at your table, blending exotic Japanese dishes with a dazzling chef performance may have been a radical idea.
2. By bringing Japanese food into the mainstream and its "entertainment" style of presentation, Benihana has also paved the way in America for the popularity of other Japanese cooking styles and food products.
3. The Benihana dining concept -- Food would be prepared right at the table "teppan-yaki" style by highly trained chefs.
4. Rocky also believed that the showmanship of the chefs was extremely important.
5. Beef, chicken and shrimp would be the stars of the menu, all prepared "hibachi-style" (an American-style term for "teppan-yaki" cooking).
6. Guests at the communal tables would place their orders with the chef and watch in amazement as these items were sliced and diced, and flipped into the air. The timing in cooking was critical. These different ingredients had to be ready to serve onto the guests' plates simultaneously.
7. For a restaurant to succeed it must be enough to bring customers through the doors for the first time and good enough to keep them coming back.
8. Benihana began in the U.S. as a Japanese steakhouse unlike any other in the country. Rather than using conventional kitchens, Benihana prepare all entrees at a "hibachi" table, around which up to eight guests are seated. A fast-paced performance of chopping and juggling creates an exciting teppanyaki-style dining experience for guests of all ages.
9. Prior to Benihana, Japanese food did not enjoy anywhere near the popularity and acclaim of today. Sushi, as ubiquitous as steak, has emerged as the...