First Beverly Hills, then New York, and the rest of the world. Nobu’s story began amid financial difficulties, a fire, and a meeting that would change everything: the encounter between the Japanese chef and actor Robert De Niro. Today, the brand has more than 50 restaurants and 40 hotels.
Nobu: The name evokes Japanese cuisine infused with Peruvian influences, exclusive settings, and a network of restaurants frequented by celebrities and affluent travelers. Yet, behind the brand founded in New York in 1994 lies a story that begins far from the spotlight: that of Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, a chef who has experienced failures, fresh starts, and a restaurant where, in the beginning, customers were few and far between.
Born in 1949 in Saitama, Japan, Matsuhisa discovered a passion for gastronomy as a teenager. The death of his father, who died in an accident when he was just eight years old, led him to find solace in the kitchen. At age 18, he began working at a sushi restaurant, where he learned the techniques and secrets of a tradition that would become the centerpiece of his professional life. The first turning point came in 1973, when a customer at the restaurant suggested he move to Peru to work at a restaurant that combined Japanese cuisine with South American ingredients. It was a decisive moment for his culinary identity as well: it was from that experience that one of the most recognizable characteristics of Nobu cuisine would emerge—the fusion of different cultures and flavors.
From Setbacks to Meeting Robert De Niro
In Peru, Matsuhisa opened a restaurant, but financial disputes with his business partner forced him to abandon the project. He then moved to Argentina, where he faced new business challenges, before returning to Japan. The search for a better opportunity later took him to Alaska, where he decided to open his own Japanese restaurant. This time, too, however, fate took an unexpected turn: a fire destroyed the restaurant, leaving him out of business and with little certainty about the future.
“Today, everyone sees the success. But back then, my dream had vanished; I thought maybe my life was over,” he recalled in an interview with Esquire, reflecting on that period. It was above all the support of his family that allowed him to start over. Together with his wife and daughters, he moved to Los Angeles, where he returned to working in Japanese restaurants. In 1987, thanks to a $70,000 loan from a friend, he finally managed to open his own restaurant in Beverly Hills: it was called Matsuhisa and seated just 38 guests.
The culinary concept combines Japanese tradition with flavors discovered in Peru. Matsuhisa focuses on the quality of his ingredients, a choice that entails high costs and makes it difficult to achieve the desired profitability. At least initially, there weren’t enough customers to ensure the restaurant’s financial stability. The turning point came about a year after the opening. A regular customer invited Robert De Niro to dinner; De Niro was impressed by the chef’s dishes and began dining there regularly. Convinced of the concept’s potential, the actor suggested taking it to New York and opening a new restaurant together. Matsuhisa, having recently had difficult experiences with business partners, did not accept immediately. In the end, however, he decided to trust him. In 1994, together with De Niro, restaurateur Drew Nieporent, and producer Meir Teper, he opened the first Nobu in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. The public response was positive: the cuisine was complemented by a refined atmosphere and the appeal of names already famous in the worlds of entertainment and business.
From a Restaurant to a Global Brand
Success in New York became the starting point for international expansion. Nobu expanded into cities such as London, Tokyo, and Milan, building a network of restaurants that brings its interpretation of Japanese cuisine to some of the world’s leading luxury hubs. In 2013, the group further expanded its reach with the launch of Nobu Hospitality, through which the brand also entered the high-end hospitality and experiential sectors. Alongside the direct management of its operations, the group also developed a model based on licensing the brand to third-party operators, who can use the Nobu name in their own establishments.
Growth attracts investor interest. In 2015, the Australian company Crown Resorts acquired a 20% stake for $100 million. In 2024, the stake was sold for $180 million to another company linked to Blackstone’s private equity funds. The transaction valued the group at a total of $1.3 billion. Today, Nobu operates over 50 restaurants and 40 hotels across various countries. Matsuhisa’s personal fortune is estimated by international sources at around $200 million: a figure that speaks to the scale the chef has achieved as an entrepreneur, following a career that was not without its setbacks. And that small restaurant in Beverly Hills, where tables often remained empty in the early days, became the first chapter of an international empire.
