Great news for Emeryville and people who like to dine with views of the bay, as a Benihana is coming to that shuttered Emeryville Chevy's space on the waterfront that's been closed for more than a year and a half.  

That Chevy’s Fresh Mex on the San Francisco Bay waterfront in Emeryville was not unlike the famed Taco Bell Cantina in Pacifica — a mid-range (at best) generic chain restaurant location that transcended into a cult-hit destination because of its remarkable surrounding waterfront scenery. And while I would not normally mourn the loss of a Chevy’s Fresh Mex, it was legit sad when the the Emeryville waterfront Chevy's closed permanently in April 2024. Because dammit, there ought to be a restaurant at that location!

Image: Ann B via Yelp

And so again there will be. The San Francisco Business Times reports that Benihana will open a location at the former Emeryville Chevy’s. There is no target opening date for the popular Japanese chain opening at Emeryville’s Powell Street dock, but I think most of us would agree that a Benihana is a vastly better fast-casual restaurant than Chevy’s, so the announcement is very welcome to hear.

Image: Jana C via Yelp

As we noted earlier this week, there will be ten new Benihana restaurants opening in the Bay Area in the next couple of years. But we had no information about any of the new locations. The SF Business Times report did identify some, though only two: the waterfront Emeryville location, and another in San Jose at the Almaden Plaza shopping center, in a spot that used to be a Red Lobster.

Yes, we know there is a Benihana in San Francisco at Post and Laguna streets. But the new Emeryville Benihana will feature incomparable waterfront views like the nearby, still extant Trader Vic's, plus the Benihana chain’s newly revamped interiors.

And Benihana’s revamp has been a hit, particularly at their new San Mateo location that opened earlier this year. According to the Business Times, “CEO Emanuel Hilario said the Benihana that opened in March at San Mateo's Bridgepointe Shopping Center was the top-performing opening in the chain's history."

Related: That Waterfront Chevys In Emeryville Is Closing Permanently on April 16 [SFist]
Image: Chevys Fresh Mex via Yelp