San Mateo’s Benihana finally got its big moment today, with a ribbon-cutting and neighborhood party at the Bridgepointe Shopping Center. The full-scale teppanyaki restaurant, part of The ONE Group’s broader Bay Area rollout, hosted a grand premiere that drew staff, customers and local officials. The celebration featured a ceremonial ribbon-cutting paired with a small community reception.
According to The Mercury News, the festivities centered on the ribbon-cutting and reception, and the city planned to present a certificate through the city clerk’s office. The paper notes that the San Mateo location first opened last spring and is using this week’s event as a more formal community welcome, with attendees calling out the interactive dining format and chefs’ tableside showmanship during the reception.
What’s Inside The San Mateo Outpost
In a press release carried by Business Wire, The ONE Group said Benihana San Mateo spans more than 7,000 square feet and features 18 teppanyaki tables, semi-private dining space and a combined bar-and-lounge area. The release highlights a menu built around teppanyaki steak, chicken and seafood served tableside, alongside sushi, sashimi and small plates. Drinks include cocktails such as a Red Plum Sake Sangria and a Beni-tini. Emanuel “Manny” Hilario, the company’s CEO, said, “We are thrilled to expand our presence in the Bay Area with the opening of our new Benihana in the San Mateo community.”
Menu, Drinks And Hours
The San Mateo location’s menu leans into the teppanyaki experience while also offering sushi and smaller bites, and the restaurant runs a bar-focused happy hour on weekdays. Publicly listed hours cover lunch, dinner, takeout and delivery, with typical dining times running from mid-morning into the evening and a weekday happy-hour window in the afternoons. For reservations, menus and the latest updates, see Benihana’s San Mateo page.
Bigger Bay Area Play
As outlined in a December development update from The ONE Group via Business Wire, the company entered into an asset-light agreement to develop up to ten Benihana or Benihana Express restaurants across the greater Bay Area. The plan calls for a mix of franchised, joint-venture and licensed units to open over several years. Hoodline coverage has already highlighted the Bridgepointe location as a template for that expansion…