Aburaya is a restaurant inspired by punk rock and a mission to provide affordable Japanese cuisine, such as the fried chicken and more to the local community. Originally, Aburaya started as a pop-up, but settled in a more permanent location on Oakland’s 17th St after popular demand for the chicken and other dishes. They are also a repeat winner of the title “Best of East Bay” from East Bay Express and have been in business since June of 2014.
The founder, Adachi Hiroyuki, has been involved in the food industry for nearly 30 years since his beginnings working as a restaurant employee since he was 14. He was inspired to start Aburaya when he realized that most Japanese foods offered in America, especially Bay Area are expensive. He noticed that many Japanese restaurants were sushi-related, and desired to bring something more unique and refreshing to the table in order to better exemplify the diversity of Japanese cuisine.
The loan from Main Street Launch helped fund Aburaya’s remodeling and expansion to another location, along with improving cash flow. “I’m grateful to Main Street Launch’s staff for helping me get through the process and all the paperworks,” says Adachi.
Aburaya is special since it offers the community casual dining options and quick service, without the social and ethical consequences of corporate fast food. They value the health of the community, and ensure that no extra sugar is added and no corn syrup is involved to their menu items. They also have vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options available in store. Adachi also tries to source ingredients locally and sustainably as much as possible, in order to provide healthier options to the community. Adachi often reflects on their dishes even on vacation, where he tries different plates from the various countries he visits in order to gain inspiration for Aburaya.
In the future, Adachi envisions Aburaya to be employee-owned. He hopes for their expansion to be successful, and wishes to try out new menu items or pop-up locations incorporating different styles and varieties of food such as oysters and raw fish with unique sauces and seasoning.
Check out more about their restaurant on their website!
