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CELEBRATE GREAT FOOD &
GREAT TIMES AT MR. AN'S

THE BEST
JAPANESE CUISINE

Life is a celebration, and what better way to celebrate then with delicious food, exciting entertainment, and friends and family. Mr. An’s is dedicated to providing the highest quality of food and preparation, from our sushi and teppan chefs to our bar and cocktails. Our teppan chefs take great pride in their work, and we take pride in them. 

Mr An and youngest soon Joon

FROM OUR FAMILY
TO YOURS

Mr. An’s Restaurants all started in Tucson, Arizona, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the amazing community here. This business was started by Mr. An, and is still run by him and our family to this day. We believe in giving back to the community that has given so much to us and have annual charitable events to help others in need. We are also big fans of all our local sports teams (BEAR DOWN!) and love having them over whenever we can.

BEGINNINGS IN TUCSON

The Restaurant Risk

An opened his first restaurant in 1983 after a disappointing trip to one of Tucson’s few Asian eateries. Everything that night was bad - the food, the service, the cleanliness. An thought he could do better. Nevermind that he didn’t have any experience running a restaurant, or even working in a restaurant. He bought Little Sicily Restaurant on South Craycroft Road near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and expanded the building to three times its original size. The new restaurant, Great Wall China, thrived. Buoyed by its success, An decided to roll the dice with a second dining spot. 

In 1991, he opened Sakura, the restaurant that made him famous. The eastside eatery boasted multiple teppanyaki tables and capitalized on America’s fascination with Japanese cuisine. It also benefited from some high-profile diners.

 

 

• 1940 - Kwang C. An born in Korea.

• 1972 - An moves to El Paso, Texas.

• 1973 - Bin An born.

• 1975 - An moves to Tucson.

• 1983 - An opens Great Wall China at 2445 S. Craycroft Road.

• 1988 - An marries Christina Won.

TEPPAN YAKI & SUSHI

Moving 'An' Up

In town for spring training, the Arizona Diamondbacks made Sakura their post-game hangout. “Shoot, I think I ate there every night for spring training,” Luis Gonzalez says. “We were kind of inseparable. People made fun of us because I said, ‘Yeah, he’s my dad.’”  It became fashionable to eat at Sakura and before long the walls were covered with photos of An posing with various athletes and movie stars. An says his favorite celebrities to dine at Sakura were two-sport phenom Bo Jackson, actress Kim Basinger, Suns owner Jerry Colangelo and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. 
Sakura’s success led to a second Sakura on North Oracle Road, as well as three Phoenix restaurants, which he has since sold.

 

 

• 1991 - The Ans sell Great Wall China, and open Sakura at 6534 E. Tanque Verde Road.

• 1994 - Opens Mikado Japanese Restaurant in Scottsdale, Phoenix, selling in 1998.

• 2000 - An opens Sakura West at 6091 N. Oracle Road.

• 2005 - The Sakura on Oracle Road is sold to Benihana Inc.

• 2007 - Reopens Great Wall, reselling in 2011.

• 2008 - Sakura on Tanque Verde Road is sold to a Phoenix group headed by Yong Joo Lee.

• 2010 - 2014 - Opens An Del Sol, An Express, and FrozAn in Casino Del Sol. The restaurants were then sold to the casino in 2014. 

MR. AN’S OPENS

• 2010 - An opens Mr. An’s Teppan Steak and Seafood Sushi Bar, taking back the oracle Sakura location from Benihana.

• 2013 - Joon An, Mr. An’s youngest son, takes the reins as General Manager at Mr. An’s

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