Meet Sachi Nakato Takahara | Owner, Nakato Japanese Restaurant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sachi Nakato Takahara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sachi, what is the most important factor behind your success?
There are several things that I would attribute to my success. The first is our long-term employees, who are absolutely the cornerstone of our success. So many of the employees have been with Nakato for a decade or more and these people have become my second family. I have a great deal of love for them and care about them deeply. It’s these employees who make sure that our guests receive the consistently high level of service and food that my grandmother laid the groundwork for, more than 50 years ago.

In addition to the loyalty of our long-term employees, I would say that the guests who have been dining with us for decades, as well as our wonderful neighbors in Piedmont Heights, many of whom consistently dine with us several times a month, are some of the biggest factors of our success.

When you are taking on a family business that has been in your family for so long, you have to be humble and know that where you stand today is not all your doing. Every single day it’s in the back of my mind that I have to prove that I deserve this position – to my staff and my guests – and I do not take ANYTHING for granted.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Nakato is Atlanta’s oldest authentic Japanese restaurant, and this is something that I’m very proud of. I consider my family business as the “TURTLE”. Many businesses come and go, especially in the restaurant industry, but to consistently be named “best Japanese restaurant in Atlanta” and “best Sushi in Atlanta” year in and year out, is something that I am immensely proud of. To continue evolving with the Atlanta culinary scene, while maintaining the excellent level of food and service that my grandmother established definitely sets us apart. In addition to flying in the freshest whole fish from Japan several times a week, we also use many other products from Japan.

We make sure that the omotenashi culture, giving of yourself without expecting anything in return, is the forefront of how we treat our guests at Nakato.

Another unique aspect of Nakato is our Tatami Rooms. These are authentic Japanese Tea Rooms that were designed by architects from Japan. It’s where guests remove their shoes, sit on the floor (there’s a well under the table so guests can sit comfortably) and are served course after course of traditional Japanese dishes. Time stands still in the Tatami Rooms – it’s a very special dining experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would visit the Aquarium and the Civil Rights Museum, because I think the fact that it’s the biggest in the world, and the rich history associated with Atlanta and GA during the civil rights movement, is very powerful.

During the spring/summer/fall months, I would rent an electric scooter and show them the city that way … hit up Ponce City Market, Krog Street and all the neighborhoods aligned with the Belt Line. We’d visit the Grant Park Farmers Market, for sure.

Since my friends would most likely be foodies, I would take them to the Dekalb Farmers Market and head down Buford Hwy for Asian eats for lunch. If I decided to go OTP, I would visit the Pleasant Hill area to enjoy Korean Bbq and Asian desserts.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Shoutout would go to several people – first and foremost my grandmother, Tetsuko Nakato, who founded the restaurant that I so proudly represent today. She established Nakato as a formidable culinary and cultural outpost of Japan and three generations of female owners later, it is something that I continue, in part, as a homage to her.

I’d also like to give a Shoutout to my fantastic long-term employees and our guests, many of whom have been coming to Nakato since we opened in 1972. I’m more grateful to these people than I could possibly begin to describe.

Website: www.nakatorestaurant.com

Instagram: @nakatorestaurant

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachiyo-nakato-takahara-60174b1a/

Facebook: @nakatorestaurant

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nakato-japanese-restaurant-atlanta-2

Image Credits
Nakato Japanese Restaurant