How much does a Benihana franchise cost?
Opening a Benihana franchise takes a total initial investment of $3,405,200 to $6,250,000, according to the brand's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. That FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so it discloses no earnings figures at all.
Benihana franchises BENIHANA Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Benihana franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2025 FDD. The total is $3,405,200 to $6,250,000. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Real Estate Improvements (Excluding Purchase Real Estate) ($2,500,000 to $4,500,000), Equipment, Furniture & Fixtures ($500,000 to $700,000), and Additional Funds ($250,000 to $500,000).
The initial franchise fee is $40,000.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $40,000 | $40,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $25,000 | $100,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Real Estate Improvements (Excluding Purchase Real Estate)2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $2,500,000 | $4,500,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Equipment, Furniture & Fixtures2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $500,000 | $700,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Opening Inventory2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $40,000 | $60,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Liquor License2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $200 | $300,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Insurance2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $50,000 | $50,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Additional Funds2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $250,000 | $500,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Total estimated initial investment2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $3,405,200 | $6,250,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
About this total: The printed total was re-read off FDD page 14 and is what the document prints; it does not equal the sum of the listed rows.
Source Benihana, 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-21. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Item 19
What Benihana franchisees actually report earning
This brand's FDD publishes no Item 19.
We do not make any representations about a franchisee’s future financial performance or the past financial performance of company-owned or franchised outlets. We also do not authorize our employees or representatives to make any such representations either orally or in writing. If you are purchasing an existing outlet, however, we may provide you with the actual records of that outlet.
Source Benihana, 2025 FDD, Item 19, p. 59, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-21. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Item 20
How many Benihana outlets there are, and how many closed
Benihana ended 2024 with 8 franchised outlets and 69 company-owned outlets. In that year 1 franchised outlet opened and none left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2022 through 2024, Benihana opened 2 franchised outlets and no outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 2, from 6 to 8 franchised outlets.
With fewer than 10 outlets, one closure moves the numbers a lot, so we do not calculate a yearly rate.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 61 |
| 2023 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 61 |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 61 |
Source Benihana, 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 61, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-21. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Compare
How Benihana compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Benihana's estimated range is $4,827,600. It costs more to open than 98% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Benihana is not one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when Benihana files a new FDD
Franchisors reissue their FDD at least once a year, and the Item 7 and Item 19 figures move. Leave an email and we will send you Benihana's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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