Beloved Japanese chain to open fast-casual offshoot

NewsTwo prototypes of this new restaurant concept are already open with more on the way. (Business Wire)Business WireBy Claudia Dimuro | cdimuro@pennlive.comBenihana is exploring the fast casual space with a brand new restaurant concept.Restaurant Business reports that owner, The One Group, confirmed its plans to expand on Benihana with a smaller version of the popular Japanese chain that focuses more on speedy service and convenience. This new restaurant will be called Benihana Express, Restaurant Business continues, and will offer customers things like bowls and handheld foods — think: hibachi burritos — so people can get in on the Benihana taste on the go.And The One Group would be wise to do so: Convenience has become a huge driver for customer interest when it comes to food preferences due to the rise of time-constrained, one-the-go lifestyles. Many are even still willing to pay for delivery despite high costs due to the time-saving and convenient aspect of it.Benihana Express would cater to this not only with the aforementioned menu items, but with its setup, as customers would order at a counter. The restaurants might potentially offer takeout, too. According to Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN), The One Group recently posted its second consecutive quarter of good traffic: Benihana in particular saw same-stores sales go up by 0.7 percent, with traffic increasing by 2.7 percent. The company is looking to grow traffic further with Benihana Express, of there there are two prototypes already in operation in Miami, Florida, and Denver, Colorado. The one in Miami is reportedly pacing at roughly $1.8 million in sales already.Two other Express locations are expected to open up by the end of this year in Islamorada, Florida, and at Topanga Mall in Canoga Park, California. Apple might get rid of longtime iPhone featureYour phone won’t autocomplete ‘sleepy Joe,’ ‘dictator Trump’: reportBringing in the dough: Bakery market to generate over $840B by 2033Claudia covers trending and breaking news stories across the United States. She previously worked as a digital reporter for PennLive.com, where she covered a range of topics from metal music to consumer news to...