Donner Company

Introduction

A company’s ability to prosper in any competitive field is highly dependent

upon its ability to distinguish itself from its competitors. In the United States restaurant industry, approximately twenty-six percent of all new businesses fail within the first twelve months of operation. Furthermore, the cumulative failure rate in the first thirty-six months of operation rises to approximately sixty-one percent [1]. With this in mind, the significance of a company’s competitive advantage becomes drastically apparent.

Benihana of Tokyo, a Japanese restaurant founded by Hiroaki Aoki, opened its doors to the United States in 1964 on the west side of Manhattan, New York. The origin of this restaurant began with the Benihana coffee shop turned full service restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1935 by Yunosuke Aoki, the name Benihana, meaning “Red Flower” in Japanese, refers to the red safflowers which grew wild in the streets of Tokyo near its original location. By combining a distinctive blend of eastern world culture, with non-traditional operation methods,