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GYU-KAKU
Gyu-Kaku offers franchises for Japanese-style yakiniku restaurants where customers grill their own assortment of meats, seafood, poultry, vegetables, and desserts on state-of-the-art in-table charcoal roasters, paired with proprietary dipping sauces, marinades, and a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The business model centers on franchising owner-developed and operated full-service casual dining establishments in formats from 2,000 to 5,000 square feet, emphasizing efficient operations with minimal kitchen prep as customers act as their own chefs. The target market includes adults and families seeking interactive, high-quality Japanese barbecue dining experiences.
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Franchise Costs
Tiered royalty (5% on first $1.5M gross sales, 4.5% to $2M, 4% above) + 1.5% ad fund
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
This franchise did not provide Item 19 financial performance data.
Be careful if you are interested in investing. The lack of financial performance representations may indicate limited data or varying results across franchises.
Extracted Item 19 Section
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Unlock financial performance dataGYU-KAKU Franchise Analysis
Table-side grilling wows diners at GYU-KAKU's yakiniku spots, but the 2025 FDD drops hints of turbulence beneath the sizzle. Absent Item 19 earnings data leaves revenue a black box, while bankruptcy echoes and shifting location counts spark questions about momentum. Can this interactive Japanese BBQ chain fire up franchise profits, or is the grill getting cold?
Item 7 lays out a steep entry: initial investment spans $2,268,261 to $4,273,772 for 2,000-5,000 sq ft units, covering buildout, equipment, in-table roasters, and inventory. Franchise fee hits $50,000 upfront, with ongoing fees tiered by sales—5% on the first $1.5M gross sales, 4.5% up to $2M, then 4% above—plus a flat 1.5% brand fund. Without Item 19, you're blind on average unit volumes or profits; high costs demand stellar traffic from adults and families craving DIY grilling with premium meats and sauces, but no benchmarks mean guessing EBITDA margins in a competitive casual dining field.
System health flashes yellow: franchise locations contracted from 32 in 2023 to 28 in 2024—a 12% drop—despite 32 corporate outlets and plans for 6 new units (Item 21). Just 1 transfer signals low turnover, but overall shrinkage since franchising in 2008, coupled with confirmed bankruptcy history (Item 4 likely), points to operational hurdles or market saturation. For investors eyeing full-service casual dining, GYU-KAKU's premium model risks high fixed costs against tepid expansion—proceed only if your market screams for Japanese BBQ and you've crunched conservative sales projections.
Analysis based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions.
How GYU-KAKU Compares
Key Insights
- One of the lowest investment costs in Full-Service Casual Dining (ranked #3 of 3)
- #2 largest franchise system in Full-Service Casual Dining
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GYU-KAKU Current | $2.3M – $4.3M | $50K | 5.0% | 28 |
| Twin Peaks | $2.3M – $6.9M | $50K | 5.0% | 70 |
| Cowboy Jack's | $1.5M – $6.1M | $45K | N/A | 5 |
Full-Service Casual Dining Average 3 franchises | $2.0M – $5.8M | $48K | 5.0% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
+1 more states
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Unlock location growth dataFranchisee Contacts
27 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
27 Contacts Available
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Unlock contactsDue Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Chief Financial Officer Motoo Noda's prior employer, Jamgle Jam USA, Inc., filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on October 24, 2023 (Case No. 8:23-bk-12188-TA); case closed March 28, 2024 with no assets.
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Unlock due diligence reportsFrequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a GYU-KAKU franchise ranges from $2,268,261 to $4,273,772. This includes a franchise fee of $50,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.0% of gross sales.