Benihana to open first ‘Express’ location in Colorado on 16th Street

Benihana is bringing a new concept to the 16th Street Mall, but don’t expect the tableside knife-flipping just yet. Permits filed with the city show a Benihana Express — the chain’s smaller, fast-casual format — will open at 1380 16th St. in the LoDo neighborhood, occupying roughly 3,000 square feet on the ground floor of the 16M Building at the corner of 16th and Market streets.

Unlike the traditional Benihana experience built around teppanyaki grills and theatrical chefs, Benihana Express skips the hibachi tables and full bar in favor of a quicker, counter-style format serving breakfast bowls, pastries, fried rice and hibachi platters. The concept is designed for high-traffic urban locations and has been deployed in markets including Miami and in sports and entertainment venues.

City documents peg the buildout cost at $650,000. The location will slot in between Dragonfly Noodle and the recently opened Mendocino Farms, filling part of the space vacated when Panera Bread closed in 2024. The 16M Building includes office space on floors two through six and apartments above.

The downtown outpost will be Benihana’s third in Colorado, joining the full-service locations at Tamarac Square in southeast Denver and in Broomfield. No opening date has been announced.

Benihana’s Denver-based parent company, The ONE Group Hospitality, acquired the 80-unit teppanyaki chain in 2024 for $365 million and has been aggressively expanding the brand nationwide, including a 10-unit development deal in the San Francisco Bay Area and conversions of underperforming Kona Grill locations into Benihana and STK restaurants.