Sukiya (restaurant chain)

Sukiya (すき家, stylized as SUKIYA) is a Japanese restaurant chain specializing in gyūdon (beef bowl). It is the largest gyūdon chain in Japan.^[1] It operates over 2,000 stores in Japan, and has branch stores across Asia. Sukiya's owner, Zensho Holdings, is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and had sales of ¥511 billion in 2016.

Sukiya

Sukiya store in Tokyo, Japan
Industry	Food and beverage
Founded	1982; 43 years ago (1982)
Founder	Kentarō Ogawa
Headquarters	Kōnan
Area served	Japan, China, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines
Products	Gyūdon, curry
Parent	Zensho Holdings
Website	sukiya.jp

Its slogan, printed in English outside the restaurant, is "Save Time and Money". Aside from beef bowls, Sukiya also offers curry, and a wide variety of other foods.

History

Gyūdon is Sukiya's main product

A typical gyūdon meal set, with miso soup

The first Sukiya opened in 1982 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.^[2] It was founded by Kentarō Ogawa (小川賢太郎), who originally worked at Yoshinoya, another gyūdon restaurant. Ogawa also founded Zensho Holdings, which owns Sukiya.

Unlike its competitor Yoshinoya, Sukiya did not stop serving gyūdon during the 2004 ban on American beef imports, instead switching to beef imported from Australia. In response to Yoshinoya's butadon (pork bowl, a substitute for gyūdon), Sukiya began serving its own version, tondon.

On May 28, 2011, the first Sukiya restaurant was opened in Bangkok, Thailand.

On September 11, 2013, a Sukiya restaurant was opened in Mexico City, the first in Mexico. The Zona Rosa restaurant offers 24/7 service.

On July 3, 2014, a Sukiya restaurant was soft opened in Taipei, making it the first Sukiya in Taiwan.

On July 1, 2016, a Sukiya was opened in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

On March 31, 2025, Sukiya imposed a one-week closure of its 2,000 stores in Japan for cleanup after it was revealed that it served food contaminated with pests on two occasions, including a rat that had entered a refrigerator and was included in a miso soup served to a customer in Tottori and a cockroach that was discovered at one of its outlets in Tokyo.^[3]

Locations

Sukiya store in Nagoya, Japan

Sukiya store in Shenzhen, China

Sukiya store in Tokyo, Japan

Country	Count	Notes
Japan	2,333	Locations in all 47 prefectures of Japan as of 2017[4]
China	296	As of 2014, about half of the locations are in Shanghai[5]
Taiwan	66	28 in Taipei, 17 in New Taipei, 9 in Taichung, 8 in Taoyuan, 3 in Hsinchu, and 1 in Keelung.[6]
Brazil	29	24 in São Paulo, 1 in Mogi das Cruzes, 1 in Santo André, 1 in São Bernardo do Campo, 1 in São José dos Campos, 1 in Guarulhos, 1 in Sorocaba[7]
Mexico	22	18 in Mexico City, 2 in Toluca, and 2 in Querétaro
Thailand	39	21 in Bangkok, 8 in Chonburi, 4 in Nonthaburi, 2 in Rayong, 1 in Ayutthaya, 1 in Nakhon Pathom, 1 in Nakhon Ratchasima, and 1 in Pathum Thani.[8]
Malaysia	18	6 in Kuala Lumpur, 5 in Selangor, 3 in Johor Bahru, 2 in Melaka, 1 in Putrajaya, 1 in Kedah.[9]
Indonesia	13	8 in Jakarta, 2 in Tangerang, 1 in South Tangerang, and 1 in Depok.[10]
Hong Kong	9	1 in Kowloon Bay, 1 in Lok Fu, 1 in Mong Kok, 1 in Tseung Kwan O, 1 in Quarry Bay, 1 in Tsim Sha Tsui, 1 in Wan Chai, 1 in Whampoa, 1 Yau Ma Tei, 1 in Tiu Keng Leng, 1 in Po Lam, and 1 in Ma On Shan[11]
Singapore	16	Located at 313@somerset, Century Square, Changi City Point, City Square Mall, Funan, Heartland Mall, Jewel Changi Airport, Marina Square, Plaza Singapura, Punggol Coast Mall, Seletar Mall. Sengkang Grand Mall, Square 2, Suntec City, Waterway Point, and Woods Square.[12]
Vietnam	18	16 located in Ho Chi Minh City and 2 in Bình Dương province.[13]
Philippines	4	1 located in Manila (SM City), 1 in Makati, 1 in Mandaluyong (SM Megamall), and 1 in Quezon City (Waltermart North Edsa).[14]

Gallery

Gyūdon

• 
  With poached egg
• 
  With kimchi and raw egg
• 
  With cheese
• 
  With okra and katsuobushi
• 
  With negi and lemon
• 
  With menma and chili oil
• 
  With garlic sprouts
• 
  With unagi

Other foods

• 
  Beef curry with omelette
• 
  Beef curry with cheese
• 
  Yakisoba with beef
• 
  Tenshindon
• 
  Beef galbi bowl with kimchi
• 
  Salmon bowl with salty lemon
• 
  Tondon, or pork bowl
• 
  Mapo tofu bowl

See also

• Donburi
• Yakiniku
• Matsuya
• Yoshinoya