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Pepper Lunch: Excited and mesmerized by the food grilled right in front of you! Fast food steak house, “Pepper Lunch”

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By Aya Ota

A steak specialty fast food franchise, “Pepper Lunch”,opened its first New York location on March 21 of this year, and is drawing a lot of attention because the second location opened on July 3, already only 3 and a half months later.

At “Pepper Lunch”,, you order and pay first, and sit down at a table, and wait. Then, a sizzling hot iron plate arrives, and you, the customer, cooks your steak by yourself.

Not only can you cook your steak to your favorite doneness, but you canalso make it to suit your taste by adding their original steak sauce and toppings. Popularity was spurred by the fact that you can have good quality steak at a reasonable cost, and they have so far developed 470 locations in 16 countries worldwide (136 in Japan).

“Pepper Food Services Co., Ltd.” (“Kuni’s Corporation” in US), whichruns this restaurant chain, opened their first location in the US in February of 2017. They brought “Ikinari Steak”, their super popular chain in Japan known for its unique style of selling by weight, and having you eat standing up, on top of low pricing, to the East Village District of New York, and became the topic of conversation. Only within 2 years, they expanded their business to 11 locations in New York. In October of 2018, they got listed on NASDAQ as the first restaurant business from Japan. However, due to the later slow-down of the achievement, they were forced to make a big change in their business strategy, and closed 7 locations this year. They also made an announcement to withdraw from NASDAQ this fall.

Kunio Ichinose, Founder & CEO admits humbly; “Back then, I was stuck with the idea of replicating the Japanese way. I had no fear and was reckless. What to serve by how much and to whom? I was wrong about this from the start of our coming to the US,” he continues. Here in the States, steak is a luxurious and special food. The quality and taste of what we offered was well accepted, but low pricing and stand-up eating style did not go well.

Moreover, due to the facts such as the hasty increase of locations, and having a no-tipping system caused hardship in hiring and educating of the staff, which eventually led to compromising in the quality of the service. And this time, as the result of the big trajectory correction, they will concentrate on enhancing the brand power by continuing to run “Ikinari Steak” at 2 out of the 4 remaining locations, and develop “Pepper Lunch” at the other 2 locations because this model has a good record in developing overseas.

Overseas development of “Pepper Lunch” started 14 or 15 years ago in Singapore. They went to Australia next, and kept progressing differently from Japan in creating menus and developing styles according to the local needs. In 2018, they opened 2 locations in LA. They are developing this New York locations by bringing in a lot of these other overseas successful experiences from the past.

Their signature dish is the “Pepper Rice”, in which steak and rice is cooked together like fried rice. Since the opening of the first New York location, they have been quickly taking note of customers’ preferences, and started to serve variations with seafood such as shrimp and salmon. In addition to the steadily-desired steaks, they have added dishes combined with a hamburger patty and curry, which are not often found in the US. They also added combo dishes to the menu such as a 2 different kinds of steak combo, and combination dishes with a hamburger patty on the menu. They use only top 36% quality USDA certified Angus beef. Cup-sake is also offered, and is well accepted. They are steadily increasing fans by excitement and the heightened emotions that the customers feel from eating self-cooked food with lively noise and aroma.

They are planning to open another franchise restaurant in Las Vegas by the end of this year. Mr. Ichinose’s ambition “to spread casual steak culture, in which you eat steak regularly, and Japanese steak to all over the US” is unstoppable.


目の前で焼き上げる興奮と感動 ファストフード・ステーキハウス『ペッパーランチ』

ステーキ専門のファストフード・チェーン『ペッパーランチ』が、今年3月21日にニューヨーク初上陸を果たし、そのわずか3カ月半後の7月3日に2号店を開店し、注目されている。

同店では、来店後まず注文・会計を済ませ、テーブルに着席し待っていると、熱々の鉄板が運ばれてきて、客自らステーキを焼き上げるというスタイル。好みの焼き加減に仕上げられるだけでなく、同店オリジナルのステーキソースや追加トッピングを加え、好みの味付けに調えることができる。上質のステーキ肉を安価に食べられることも人気に拍車をかけ、現在では、世界16カ国に約470店舗(うち日本国内136店舗)を展開している。

同チェーンを運営する『株式会社ペッパーフードサービス』(米国法人『Kuni’s Corporation』)の米国初進出は2017年2月のこと。量り売りしたステーキを立ち食いするという独自性と低価格がウリで日本国内でも圧倒的な人気を誇る『いきなり!ステーキ』を、ニューヨークのイーストヴィレッジ地区に開店し話題となった。その後わずか2年でニューヨーク市内に11店舗まで拡大。2018年10月には、日本の外食産業では初となるナスダック上場も果たした。しかし、その後の業績不振により、大幅な戦略変更を強いられ、今年に入って7店舗を閉店したほか、今秋にはナスダック上場廃止することも発表した。

「当時は、日本でのやり方を再現することに固執していた。怖いもの知らずで無謀だった」と潔く語るのは、創業者で代表取締役社⻑の⼀瀬邦夫氏。「誰に何をいくらで提供するのか。米国進出では、この点を最初から間違えてしまった」と続ける。本場・米国では、ステーキは贅沢で特別な料理。同店が提供するステーキの品質や美味しさは高く評価されたものの、低価格や立ち食いといったコンセプトが浸透しなかった。また急速に店舗拡大したことやチップ制を導入しなかったことで、従業員採用や育成に苦戦し、サービスの質低下を招いてしまった。そして、今回、大幅な軌道修正を図った結果、残した4店舗のうち2店舗で『いきなり!ステーキ』継続しブランド力を高めることに注力し、もう2店舗では海外での出店実績が豊富にある『ペッパーランチ』を展開する。

『ペッパーランチ』の海外進出は14〜15年前、シンガポールが最初だった。その後、オーストラリアへ拡大し、現地ニーズに合わせてメニューや運営面も、日本とは違う発展を遂げていった。2018年にはロサンゼルスにも2店舗開店。ニューヨークの新店舗では、これら海外での成功事例を大いに取り入れた展開となっている。

同店を代表するメニューは、ステーキ肉とご飯を炒飯のように焼き上げる「ペッパーライス」だが、ニューヨーク1号店の開店以降、客の要望を迅速に吸い上げ、海老やサーモンなど魚介類を取り入れたペッパーライスも開始した。また、安定需要があるステーキに加え、米国ではあまり見かけないハンバーグやカレーを組み合わせたメニューも追加した。さらにはステーキ2種類や、ステーキとハンバーグの組み合わせなど、コンボメニューも加えた。牛肉は、USDA認定アンガス牛のうち、トップ36%の品質のみ採用している。カップ酒も提供し、評判は上々だ。客自ら、ジュージューと音や香りを立てながら調理して食べる興奮や感動で、着々とファンを増やしている。

年内にはラスベガスにフランチャイズ店を開店予定だ。「日常的にステーキを食べるカジュアル・ステーキ文化、ジャパニーズ・ステーキを米国に広めたい」という一瀬氏の野望はとどまることがない。



Pepper Lunch Broadway
243 W 54th St. New York, NY 10019
(917) 472-7158

Pepper Lunch Chelsea
154 7th Ave, New York, NY 10011
(917) 409-5857

https://pepperlunch-usa.com/

Mon.-Sun. 11:00am-11:00pm
(Last Call: 10:30pm)
#NY #PapperLunch #steak

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