Nakato Japanese Restaurant

Sachiyo (“Sachi”) Nakato Takahara, the third-generation female owner of Nakato Japanese Restaurant, serves as a bridge to the past and future. The restaurant was founded by her grandmother in 1972 and since taking the helm of the restaurant 20 years ago, Sachi’s gracious warmth has personified this Japanese culinary cultural landmark. As General Manager, Sachi has made an indelible mark on Atlanta’s quintessential Japanese Restaurant. She has seen to it that she and the majority of the servers at Nakato are “Certified Sake Advisors;” gathering a vast amount of information about Sake, which they can pass along to their guests, enhancing their overall dining experience. A constant presence at Nakato, Sachi has not only built a strong relationship with generations of guests and her surrounding community as the President of the Piedmont Heights Business Alliance, but she also acts as a conduit of Japanese culture to the Atlanta community at large. Sachi’s ingenuity and marketing prowess was put to the test during the tumultuous years during the pandemic. During this time, Sachi created wildly popular “Sunday Suppers With Sachi” where she would be able to connect with long-time guests over Zoom, as they enjoyed themed dinners that they would pick up at Nakato, she created a series of online Origami classes for families, developed special “family meals” which included an array of Nakato’s most popular offerings, and developed many other innovative tools to maintain a constant connection to the community. As she looks to the future and prepares for a restaurant renovation, Sachi has designed new ways to get the Nakato name out in the community, from offering Sushi Classes to collaborating with other Atlanta businesses doing pop up events at their locations.