Edo Japan (restaurant)

Edo Japan (stylised in all lowercase) is a Canadian fast premium restaurant chain specializing in Japanese traditional Teppanyaki style cooking. Its head offices are located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Edo Japan
TypePrivate
IndustryFast Food
Founded1979
Calgary, Alberta
FounderReverend Susumu Ikuta
HeadquartersCalgary, Alberta, Canada
Number of locations
Over 105 (2014)[1]
in Canada, United States (California and New Mexico)
Key people
Tom Donaldson (President & CEO)
ProductsFast Casual
Websiteedojapan.com

History

Founded by Reverend Susumu Ikuta in 1979, Edo Japan was designed to bring fresh and healthy Japanese Teppanyaki-style cooking to suburban shopping centres and food courts across Canada. The first store opened in Calgary at Southcentre Mall.

Expansion and growth

Competing against predominantly burgers, subs, pizza and fried chicken establishments, the teppanyaki-style concept grew in popularity with its customers as it offered an alternative to North American cuisine. In 1986, Ikuta switched from a "mom and pop" operation to offering franchises of his company. The franchise expansion had in part been started to help sustain the Calgary Buddhist Temple, which Ikuta had founded in 1981.[2]

In 1998, Ikuta felt he needed to find someone to run his business. In 1999, sales were $10 million; at the close of last year, they had topped $24.5 million. That year, Tom Donaldson was hired to run the company. In 2003, Ikuta, wanting to retire, agreed to sell the company to Donaldson.[3]

With locations in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Québec and Saskatchewan, the company started targeting the United States and Eastern Canadian markets.[4] Not wanting to be limited to shopping centers, the company slowly introduced street-front restaurants.

See also

References
  1. Calgary-based Edo Japan closing in on $100 million annual sales
  2. Susumu Ikuta Obituary
  3. "Donaldson takes over Calgary-based Edo Japan". Archived from the original on 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  4. Alumnus believes in good food first | Alumni | University of Calgary
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