ANCIENT& not so ancient WISDOM
offering a weekly positive perspective

November 13, 2003

You win only if you aren't afraid to lose.

- Rocky Aoki ( 1940 - )

Hiroaki Aoki, also known as, Rocky Aoki, Japanese-born founder of Benihana in the United States, came to the USA when he was 20 as a wrestler on the Japanese Olympic team. Four years later, he launched his own career by merging dining and entertainment with his first Benihana restaurant in the United States in 1964 in NYC. The Japanese-style hibachi steakhouse had performing chefs prepare meals at communal tables with the guests involved in the whole event. The family philosophy instilled in Benihana is based on developing close relationships with customers,
employees, and investors. 

The business began after the end of WWII. Yunosuke Aoki, Rocky’s father, a samurai descendant and a popular Japanese entertainer and his wife Katsu opened a small coffee shop in Tokyo. A red safflower, found in the neighborhood streets gave the Aoki's the inspiration for the restaurant's name - Benihana, which in Japanese means "red flower."

From his show business background, Yunosuke knew of the publics' attraction to something "different." The first difference was simply serving and using real sugar – a difficult commodity to get after the war. Yunosuke would have to pedal his bicycle 20 miles to purchase the sugar. Yunosuke and Katsu had four sons and each of them grew up learning the restaurant business. Rocky, the eldest son, grasped the
important lesson of offering guests something out of the ordinary and inherited his father's appreciation for the "theatrical." Once in the US after the Olympics, Rocky worked seven days a week selling ice cream in New York City and studied restaurant management at night. Through saving and borrowing, Rocky scraped together enough money to finance his first four-table restaurant on New York's W. 56th Street. As they worked within the authentic Japanese farmhouse interior, the food would be prepared right at the table "teppan-yaki" style (Teppan meaning "steel grill" and yaki meaning "broiled") with dazzling effects by highly trained chefs. That is one reason the restaurant was opened near Broadway. The chefs made the beef, chicken and shrimp the stars of the menu; all performing for the guests with a little help from the chefs. For 6 months after opening, the restaurant served only one or two customers a day. Aoki family members moonlighted at other restaurants just to pay the bills. The restaurant was in jeopardy until an enthusiastic review by Clementine Paddleford, legendary restaurant critic of the New York Herald-Tribune reversed the trend.
Soon Rocky Aoki found himself in the position of having to turn dining guests away.  

Rocky did not invent a concept, he applied a proven family concept to a new market. In some ways, this may have been more frightening than a new concept because a failure would have meant a complete “loss of face”. Each of us has personal boundaries of our comfort zone: Boundaries set by our experience, our beliefs, and our culture. Stepping out of these boundaries does not require great bravery just an acknowledgement that you may not win.  

Rocky uses much of his success to inspire charitable work and to promote a global philosophy of  One Planet - One People. He continues to face fears and challenges everyday – and sometimes he loses and sometimes he wins. Rocky's adventurous spirit and willingness to face loss has led him to successes as sportsman, environmentalist, and sponsor of international art exchanges. He has won a grueling road rally challenge of 1300-miles on a route from Milan to Moscow, driving his vintage Rolls Royce.

Wishing you great and continued success!

Sincerely,