Koyo Information

Established in year 1990, KOYO has long been a contributor and participant in the development of the Asian restaurant industry not only in the local areas of Los Angeles, but around the nation. Akira Takahashi and his wife, Miyuki Takahashi, started their business in the humble setting of their own home in Hacienda Heights, California. With the help of Maki Takahashi, their eldest son, and occasionally Jun Takahashi, their younger son who was still attending school at the time, the couple initiated the manufacturing and restaurant-supply sales of KOYO's original brand products. It was not long after that the Takahashi's began to establish a relationship with the Saikai Toki Trading Inc.'s USA branch owner, Hiroshi Okubo, with whom they eventually formed a partnership. KOYO switched from making direct production purchases from Japan to manufacturing and importing their products through the Saikai Toki Trading company. This new collaboration not only marked the beginning of a long-lasting friendship, but further served as a promising spark to the successful business it soon became. In order to set their roots in a more commercial environment, the family moved the company's operations from their home to the neighboring City of Industry. It was soon after that KOYO picked up momentum and successfully entered themselves in the center of Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles. As this closely-knit Japanese American community was continuing to thrive, KOYO's office nested itself near the corner of 2nd Street and Azusa Street where they operated through one of its busiest times amidst the bustling activities of the Japanese restaurant industry. Since then, KOYO has experienced the ups and downs of any small family business - including the consequences of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis that pushed them to move locations, its revitalization upon much hard work that allowed them to move back into Little Tokyo, and finally, their efforts in continuing to improve and keep up with the times of ecommerce and customer convenience. With the demand for customer parking in a crowded city like LA, and the fading importance of location due to the growth of ecommerce, KOYO transferred its office, warehouse, and showroom to its current location in El Segundo, California. To keep up with the demands, it also began manufacturing the products in a high-end facility in China through Japanese connections, where the company continues to improve its standards in design, quality, and functionality. Since this move in 2005, son, Maki Takahashi, along with long-term partner, Okubo, continues to run his parents' business in hopes of maintaining their legacy.