What's Next for the 100 Year Old Yamashiro in Hollywood?

What a long, strange trip it’s been for Yamashiro, the century-old Hollywood hillside restaurant known for its expansive views. Under new ownership since last month, the place from the outside might seem to be operating as normal, but the new managing tenants BNG Group have big plans for the place.

A sale of the Yamashiro compound had been rumored on and off for many years, but only recently did the property move from the hands of the Glover family and on to Chinese hotel conglomerate JE Group (who then promptly brought in BNG nightlife group to keep the place alive). It was a tumultuous transition filled with lawsuits and many sad memories, before everything finally settled down last month.

So what’s to come? Well for one, BNG founder Freddie Braidy says that while plenty of new renovations will kick off later this year, there is no plan to diminish the overall look and feel of the property as it currently exists. Instead, the hope is to bring along some intriguing new details like a teppanyaki grill, sushi bar, and large lounge area. The restaurant won’t actually close during those renovations, so don’t expect a long, lengthy downtime.

It was a tumultuous transition

BNG Group has also partnered with Sugar Factory on the food and nightlife aspects, including bringing on chef Christophe Bonnegrace. He was previously executive chef of Buddha Bar in Las Vegas.

Eventually, the folks behind TCL Chinese Theaters (formerly Grauman’s in Hollywood) plan to start hosting film premieres and screenings on site. JE Group has further said that they’d like to return to doing the farmers markets on Thursday nights in the summertime too, which have always been a fun time for locals and tourists alike.

For now, expect construction to kick off likely this fall or late summer, with new developments coming to life throughout winter and beyond. It’s possible that by this time next year Yamashiro could be a very upgraded place, though with much of the same look.