Fast-casual Japanese restaurant to open first Florida location in Tampa Bay
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jun 7, 2024

Pepper Lunch, a Japanese experiential fast-casual restaurant, is opening its first Florida location in Pinellas Park.

The restaurant has more than 500 locations in 15 countries. Its latest location will be at 4699 Park Blvd. The restaurant will be 1,435 square feet and seat 38 people. There will also be a 500-square-foot patio with an additional 25 outdoor seats.

The restaurant is expected to open in September.

“Pepper Lunch offers a uniquely different dining experience, with authentic, approachable food,” Troy Hooper, Pepper Lunch CEO, said in a release. “With experienced local operators in the Majestic Restaurant Group, we’re looking forward to getting the doors open in the coming months so St. Petersburg-area residents can discover what makes Pepper Lunch one of the most popular concepts in the world.”

Pepper Lunch was established in 1994. The American menu for the teppanyaki-style restaurant chain includes curry rice, teriyaki, steaks, pepper rice, and pasta dishes.

The Pinellas Park location will be owned and operated by Majestic Restaurant Group, which plans to develop 10 locations over the next five years in and around the Tampa, Orlando and Gainesville markets, according to a release. The group’s portfolio includes a variety of sushi, poke and dumpling restaurants, including Zukku Sushi in Tampa.

This will also be the company’s first “modern prototype” for the restaurant since Hot Palette America Inc. took over American operations for the brand.

The restaurant will be in a retail plaza that houses Moe’s Southwest Grill, Great Clips, AMORE Pizzeria and an IHOP.