Central Oregon fans of Hibachi style dinners rejoice! Okawa Steak House & Sushi is now open in Bend!
Located at the corner of Reed Market and 3rd Street in the former Outback Steakhouse location, the restaurant held a soft opening last week.
While new to Bend, owner Mickey Lin is not new to the restaurant business. As he recently recounted to our marketing manager, he was only 15 when his family came to the United States from China to make a home in Boise, Idaho, where they opened a successful Chinese restaurant which the family operated for years. It was in this environment that Mickey learned the business and developed a work ethic that he would apply to his own restaurant businesses, including Los Angeles-based, World Buffet and the first location of Okawa Steak House and Sushi in Santee, California.
In Santee, Okawa’s 3,000 square foot strip mall location was packed every night. Seating at the hibachi tables required advance reservations and with Mickey’s focus on customer service, he found a recipe for success.
In late 2014, Mickey started to investigate areas in the Pacific Northwest for expansion and after searching for some time, he zeroed in on a strip mall location in Bend once occupied by Outback Steakhouse.
Reviewing area demographics, the promising numbers projected in a growing Bend economy, and the city’s lack of a Hibachi-style restaurant, Mickey and his partner, Alex Jiang, head sushi chef, committed to leasing the 6,120 square foot space in December 2015.
As building permits were secured, the new tenants began their extensive interior remodel to convert the space to become Okawa. After eight months of renovations, the doors finally opened to customers in a soft opening last week.
Menu options will delight fans of traditional Hibachi-style restaurants, (folks who travel to Portland for Benihana, listen up!). The prices are comparable, if not even less, and the flavors are unique to Okawa.
Compass Commercial brokers, Pat Kesgard, CCIM, Peter May, CCIM, Russell Huntamer, CCIM and Joel Thomas, broker represented the landlord in the lease negotiation.
Okawa Steak House & Sushi, 1180 SE 3rd St, Bend, OR 97702
Reservations recommended: (541) 640-8056