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TheBuzz
Erika Engle
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Behind the mask of Kabuki restaurant operators in the U.S.
MANY people are behind the mask when it comes to restaurants named Kabuki. Korea-born and U.S.-educated David Lee has a chain of nine restaurants in California, named Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, with No. 10 on the way, according to his company Web site.
Lee's Kabuki Restaurants Inc. is planning to expand to other states, including Hawaii, according to an executive profile in Nation's Restaurant News, an industry publication.
But wait, Hawaii already has Kabuki restaurants, one in Waimalu since 1965, one in Honolulu since 1978 -- and they have had a sister restaurant in Eden Prairie, Minn., since the early 1980s.
The Oahu and Minnesota eateries are run by children of the late founders, Katsumi and Haruko Kazama.
The Minnesota restaurant came about because of the travel business that is also run by the restaurants' parent company, Kazama Enterprises Inc. It used to be called Genghis Khan of Sapporo and its former owner met Katsumi Kazama through one of Kazama's tours. "That place was losing $10,000 a month," said Wally Kazama, president of Kazama Enterprises.
The owner asked the elder Kazama to "take a look at it," Wally said. Katsumi Kazama "took a look, made a deal and bought it."
It is now run by Wally's sister Irene Moriyama and her husband. It has no mortgage and "they do really good," Wally Kazama said.
Lee's California-based company opened its first restaurant in Pasadena, Calif., in 1991 and has since expanded into markets near existing Kabuki-named eateries.
"Actually there's a Kabuki pretty much in every state," said Young Kim, Kabuki Japanese Restaurants' marketing and planning director.
Lee was traveling and could not be reached.
Kabuki is a commonly used name, but Lee's concept is different, Kim said. "We're trademarking our Kabuki name," he said.
"We offer Japanese food that's comfortable for everybody, mass appeal. If you don't like sushi, there are great menu items that appeal to non-sushi eaters," Kim said.
"We're just looking for great locations. We are actively looking," scouting on the mainland as well as in the islands. "Our thing is, eventually we're going to be there." The only questions to answer are "how many and where," he said. "We've got the capital, we can go in and start building now.
"David is the kind of person that wants to use his own money. He doesn't believe in loans."
The owners of Kabuki Sushi on Reseda Boulevard in Northridge, Calif., weren't very happy when Lee's Kabuki Japanese Restaurant opened nearby.
"No, the Kabuki restaurant on Ventura Boulevard is not related to us," said Kabuki Sushi Corp. President Joseph Baim. He has obviously fielded the question many times.
When Lee's restaurant opened in Pasadena, "that was 25 miles from us and we didn't care," he said.
When the one on Ventura opened about 10 miles away a few years ago, "we felt a drop in business for about the first month," and customers confused the two until they realized the restaurants were different and under separate ownership, he said.
The food, taste and ambiance were different, and "we filed an action ... for trademark infringement," Baim said. The case is still pending.
Baim and his partner, Notoko Wallace, are single-unit operators who bought the restaurant from its original owners in 1994.
A major factor differentiating Kabuki Sushi from Lee's restaurants, Baim said, is that Kabuki Sushi gets "fish delivered every single day of the week we're open, except for Sunday," Baim said.
The restaurant serves four lunches and six dinners a week and employs 21 people.
Meanwhile, back in the islands, Kazama is not alarmed at the prospect of a new Kabuki coming in to his venerable local favorites' territory.
"For us, I'm not worried," he said. "We have a lot of properties that keep us going and as far as the restaurants, they do very well."
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at:
eengle@starbulletin.com