Pepper Lunch


Pepper Lunch is a Japanese "fast-steak" restaurant franchise.
Pepper Lunch is a subsidiary of Pepper Food Service Co., Ltd. The restaurant's operations outside Japan are managed by Suntory F&B International.

History

Pepper Lunch was created in 1994 by chef and inventor Kunio Ichinose, who wanted to serve quality fast food without hiring a chef. He devised a method using hot metal plates that are heated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit by an electromagnetic cooker. The raw meat with vegetables and/or rice are then placed on the plates, where they cook in front of the customer. The meat can be eaten rare or well done, depending on the customer's preference. The meal is then mixed with a choice of either the special honey brown sauce or garlic soy sauce.

Restaurants

There are over 500 restaurants throughout Asia-Pacific and North America.
CountryRestaurant count
Japan226
South Korea23
Hong Kong26
China73
Taiwan15
Philippines30
Malaysia7
Australia11
Cambodia5
Indonesia40
Thailand42
Singapore63
Macau6
Vietnam16
Canada3
Brunei2
United States5
Guam1
Total594

Incidents

''E. coli'' O157 poisoning

In September 2009, all branches in Japan temporarily closed after 38 customers, aged 2 to 81, suffered from food poisoning. The cause was poisoning, which spread throughout 19 stores among 14 prefectures in Japan. A supplier of diced beefsteak was ordered to recall the E. coli-affected product.