Growing Steak Chain Pepper Lunch Is Coming to 20 Cities (Should Outback Worry?)

The Japanese fast-casual restaurant chain Pepper Lunch is expanding into the U.S. and has announced 20 new locations expected to open through 2025. Pepper Lunch operates in 15 different countries but only has five restaurants in America, spread across California, Texas, and Nevada.

Pepper Lunch focuses on affordable steak dishes, which could help diners stretch their restaurant budget further while still enjoying steak dinners. Learn what lucky cities will see a Pepper Lunch soon.

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History of Pepper Lunch

Pepper Lunch was launched in Japan in 1994 as an affordable solution to expensive steak restaurants — but there's a gimmick. No chefs are preparing your order.

Instead, an induction cooktop metal plate is served with the food on it so customers can cook it themselves to be precisely as rare, well-done, or any temperature in between that they please.

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Pepper Lunch menu

Calling the restaurant a steak franchise is accurate, but it may bring to mind places like Outback or Texas Roadhouse — which is very different from the Japanese version of a steakhouse.

The do-it-yourself cooking style is more reminiscent of Melting Pot, but instead of sizzling cheese, a hotplate cooks your meal. Average-sized entrees typically are priced between $17 and $23, but the price varies by location.

New location areas

This announcement indicates 20 new locations will be coming to Southern California and Las Vegas, with the first two planned to open within the next nine months.

A previous announcement from August indicated North San Diego would be seeing more locations and new restaurants in Arizona, Florida, and Hawaii.

The specific locations have yet to be announced, and due to widespread hurricane damage, there could conceivably be delays in expanding into Florida.

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Bottom line

East Coast fans of Japanese-style food will have to wait longer for the quickly growing chain expansion to reach Eastern states, but the expansion will benefit those in Western states and could increase brand recognition enough to push into East Coast markets. Fans of Melting Pot who also like Japanese cuisine will want to try out Pepper Lunch.

Tackling high grocery costs can make squeezing restaurant dining into the budget difficult, leaving the higher quality food of fast-casual restaurants more appealing than typical fast-food chains.

Money tips that can work for everyone

No matter what your bank account balance is, there's always an opportunity to optimize and improve your finances. Here's a quick checklist of things you can look at today.

Focus on paying off your debt. Debt can hold you back from making progress with your overall financial well-being. Aside from cutting expenses, there are tools that can help you pay off debt faster like balance transfer credit cards and debt counseling.

Earning extra income can give you breathing room. If finances are tight, earning some extra money to supplement your income can make a huge difference. A new job is one option to consider, but if you're not ready to make a big change or already retired, a part-time side job could be a better choice.

Cut your expenses. It sounds painful and so not fun, but it doesn't have to be. Take a look at your biggest expenses because that's where you'll probably find the biggest savings. For example, auto insurance rates have been soaring so shopping around for a new insurance company can be the fastest way to cut your bill. Also, look for ways to cut your grocery bill (despite rising inflation).