Company Information

Learn more about Yoshinoya's legacy roots and the aggressive growth initiatives for our future.

 

A Quality Heritage

In 1899, on the outskirts of Edo Castle in the Nihonbashi Fish Market of Chuoku, Tokyo, Eikichi Matsuda opened the doors of the first Yoshinoya restaurant. Named for his birthplace of Yoshino-Cho, Osaka, Mr. Matsuda’s restaurant featured delicious, affordable and fast meals. It was an entirely new concept in Japanese culture, and both the hard-working fisherman and market visitors embraced it. Yoshinoya was an instant hit.

So well loved was Yoshinoya that not even the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 could topple its success. The restaurant simply moved to Tsukiji with the rest of the Fish Market and throngs of hungry patrons continued to enjoy Yoshinoya’s original gyūdon, or Beef Bowl®.

With decades of continuous growth and a loyal following, Mr. Matsuda passed the company presidency on to his son, Mizuho, in 1958. Combining his lifelong education at his father’s side with a capital of one million yen, Mizuho upheld Yoshinoya’s commitment to inexpensive, high-quality food and further expanded the restaurant throughout Japan and across the globe. Now, Yoshinoya has over 1,400 locations and is enjoyed by millions in Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, United States and the Philippines.

Timeline

  • 1899: Yoshinoya opens in the fish market in Nihonbashi, Chuoku, Tokyo
  • 1926: The store is relocated to Tsukiji after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923
  • 1958: Mizuho Matsuda succeeds his father as president
  • 1977: The number of restaurants in Japan reaches 100
  • 1977: Yoshinoya West, Inc. is established in the U.S.
  • 1979: The first Yoshinoya restaurant opened in Los Angeles
  • 1991: The first Yoshinoya restaurant opens in Hong Kong
  • 1992: The first Yoshinoya restaurant opens in China
  • 1996: The number of Yoshinoya restaurants in Japan reaches 500
  • 1997: The first Yoshinoya restaurant opens in Singapore
  • 2001: The first Yoshinoya restaurant opens in the Philippines and the total number of locations worldwide reaches 1,000
  • 2001: Yoshinoya New York Inc., is established
  • 2002: Yoshinoya restaurants open in New York City and in Shanghai
  • 2004: The number of Yoshinoya restaurants in Japan tops 1,000 and Yoshinoya restaurants open in Shenzen, China and Sydney, Australia. Malaysia Yoshinoya Co., LTD starts operations.
  • 2006: Yoshinoya makes franchising opportunities available to U.S. entrepreneurs
  • 2007: The trade name Yoshinoya D & C, LTD is changed to Yoshinoya Holdings Co., LTD
  • 2008: Yoshinoya America Inc., Yoshinoya Franchise of North America, Inc. and Yoshinoya West, Inc. merged to one entity Yoshinoya America, Inc. on October 1, 2008.