Benihana Restaurant To Open In Temecula, First For Riverside County

TEMECULA, CA — Temecula continues to lure eateries to the city — this time it's a famous Japanese favorite.

Benihana restaurant is targeted to open in the fall/winter timeframe at 26420 Ynez Road, company spokesperson Jeannie Means confirmed. The over 8,000-square-foot space at the Promenade Temecula mall is the former location of the shuttered Souplantation restaurant.

The opening will be the first Benihana restaurant in Riverside County, Means said.

Founded in 1964 in New York City by "Rocky" Aoki, Benihana is renowned for its theatrically prepared dishes served by friendly knife-wielding teppanyaki chefs who sometimes like to banter with patrons. Legend has it that during the 1960s celebs like the Beatles and Muhammad Ali — along with a well-read food critic — helped propel Benihana into the stratosphere of the NYC food scene.

Temecula city staff is currently reviewing plans for the restaurant that will feature 18 tables, a full-service sushi bar, and a dedicated area for take-out and delivery, the city announced on Facebook.

According to Means, more than 100 people will be hired for the Temecula location. No announcements have been made as to when the hiring will begin, but job hunters can keep an eye on the company's career portal here.

There are 76 Benihana restaurants in the United States, Caribbean, and Central and South America; Benihana is the largest operator of teppanyaki restaurants in the United States, according to the company.

For those who have never experienced a Benihana outing or a teppanyaki restaurant, food and show are married. The company explains it this way:

"At a teppanyaki restaurant, guests are seated around a large, flat grill surface and watch as the chef cooks the food and sometimes performs culinary tricks to add to the entertainment value of the dining experience."

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