Group of seven people posing inside a restaurant. They are smiling, some with their arms around each other. The background includes a brick wall with a large red logo and menus. The group appears to be at a gathering or event.

Annual Benihana Celebrity Chef Cook Off Fundraiser

We look forward to another fun and delicious Benihana Celebrity Chef Cook Off in January 2027.

A woman wearing a red chef hat and white coat is cooking onions on a griddle at a party, with people and party decorations in the background.

Think you can make that onion ring volcano blow some steam? Or flip some shrimp tails into your hat? Then this is for you! 

Our Celebrity Chef Volunteers don't need to be professional chefs or famous celebrities! But they will try their hand at the famous Japanese hibachi grill at Benihana and impress their guests with a delicious dinner and lots of fun.

Benihana owners Bill and Amy Lay and Darren Horan, and the gracious Benihana staff, continue hosting this signature fundraising event for Literacy Volunteers of America. This event has been one of the most entertaining events for many years. It's great fun for a great cause.

How it works:

Each volunteer Celebrity Chef puts together a table for eight or ten friends and then cooks a full course dinner for them at Benihana! There is a brief (and optional) training session before the event and the professional chefs are always nearby, just in case, so that every guest has a lovely meal! The cost is $100/guest and proceeds benefit the Literacy Volunteers of America. 

The event includes live auctions, and a silent auction room with a wide variety of donated items from local businesses and donors. 

If you'd like to be a Benihana Celebrity Chef and reserve your table, contact us by email us at info@literacyvolunteers-flkeys.org or call 305-294-4352.

Contact Us
Group of people dressed in red and white, enjoying a teppanyaki dining experience at a restaurant with a large grill at the center, surrounded by bowls of sauces and ingredients.
A woman standing at a table filled with papers and office supplies, smiling at the camera. The background features various artwork, gift baskets, and a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey with the number 12.
Chef preparing food on a teppanyaki grill in a restaurant with customers seated around, some wearing Hawaiian shirts and leis, and a colorful background with waterfall artwork.