Gasho of Japan hibachi steakhouse closes in Hauppauge

Gasho of Japan, a hibachi steakhouse that was a longtime staple of the Hauppauge restaurant scene, has served its last meal.

Richard Buono, of Island Associates Real Estate Inc. told Newsday the restaurant had closed in January. It had opened in Hauppauge in 1984.

The building, located at 356 Vanderbilt Motor Pkwy, was put up for sale by the owner after the business ceased operations, Buono told Newsday in a phone interview. Buono said he is working directly with the purchaser.

"Their tenants ... could no longer afford to maintain the building," Buono said of its former owners. "The business wasn't performing."

The sale is currently in negotiations, Buono said.

Like other restaurants that have closed on Long Island, Gasho struggled to keep up with increasing utility and maintenance bills among a changing culture, Buono said.

Gasho’s hibachi-style experience, where a chef cooks food in front of patrons, is no longer as unique as it was when it first opened, Buono said, as many similar restaurants have since opened in the area.

"The industry changed," Buono said. "At one time, it was a special place to go get hibachi cuisine, and you couldn't go anywhere else."

Buono said keeping a restaurant afloat is generally harder nowadays due to a decline in lunch rushes. Young people on Long Island also drink less alcohol compared to previous generations, Newsday previously reported.

The property appeared eerily quiet in Monday morning’s strong winds. A light post on its side walkway had been knocked down and garbage lay strewn about on its front lawn.

No signs about its closing were posted on the front doors.

Gasho of Japan opened in Hauppauge part of a small chain with the same name created by Shiro Aoki, according to a Newsday records. Aoki's family founded the Benihana restaurant chain. The Hauppauge restaurant was a replica of the original location in Central Valley which opened in 1971.

The small chain also had locations in Westchester, Denver, and St. Louis, according to the advertisement. 

Gasho’s owner could not be immediately reached for comment.