CHANDLER, AZ (AZFamily) — One of Canada’s fastest-growing franchises has opened shop in the East Valley, bringing high-quality fast-casual, family-friendly Japanese cuisine.
The name “Edo Japanese Grill” was inspired by the former name of Tokyo, and the chain’s first restaurant opened in 1979. Its founder, Reverend Susumu Ikuta, a Japanese Buddhist minister, set up shop in Calgary.
Today, Edo has grown to more than 200 locations across Canada and officially opened its first U.S. restaurant in Chandler last month.
As to why Arizona? While you could assume the state’s seasonal influx of snowbirds from our northern neighbors had something to do with it, there was a pretty extensive market analysis when choosing the East Valley.
“We love the profile and mix of the market itself,” said Edo’s CEO Dave Minnett. “The right demographics; it has an industrial, retail and residential development that we quite like. We think it lends itself well to both lunch and dinner.”
“Most importantly, we had a wonderful operating partner in Chandler. A couple who were very familiar with Edo up in Canada, have strong food-service backgrounds, and wanted to invest alongside with us,” Minnett explained.
What’s on the menu?
It’s all about the bowls serving a generous portion of rice or yakisoba noodles, stir-fried veggies, and shaved beef or chicken. All of which are cooked up on a sizzling 450°F teppan grill which helps soak up the signature teriyaki sauce. But there’s also so much more to enjoy.
“All our food is freshly made, in the moment, on that teppanyaki grill,” explained Minnett. “Everything fresh, made-to-order, customizable, and topped with that signature teriyaki sauce.”
Bento box, poke bowl and orange chicken on display at Edo Japanese Grill.(Edo Japanese Grill)
Over the years, Edo has added some favorite Asian eats like poke bowls, Tokyo-style fried chicken and bubble teas. Seeking a lighter lunch? Edo serves sushi rolls which are hand-rolled daily and for those craving some variety, the bento boxes offer up a little taste of everything.
For more customization, options like cauliflower rice and Asian veggies offer some options for those a bit more health-conscious.
“When you go in and try it, you’ll notice the way we have prepared and sliced and portioned our food prior to going on that grill. To be able to be cooked consistently well with quality within a few minutes; to lock in the juices and the flavors of the food. And serve it quickly,” said Minnett.
But what is the head honchos’ personal pick? “One of my favorites and what is the best value for a collective individual meal is our bento boxes,” he said.
What’s next?
Minett tells Arizona’s Family that it’s working to open two more locations in the coming months, including a “high-profile” spot in Scottsdale and is finalizing plans for a Gilbert shop. While the company isn’t ready to reveal a more specific timeline, one restaurant could open by the end of the year.
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