A Japanese restaurant chain is opening its first location in Utah, in a rapidly growing area in the south end of Salt Lake County.
Pepper Lunch, which was founded in Japan in 1994, has over 530 locations in 17 countries. On Thursday, March 6, Pepper Lunch is opening a new location in the Mountain View Village shopping area in Riverton. The location will be at 13299 S. Teal Ridge Way, in the food pavilion near the Cinemark theaters and the playground, according to a news release.
The restaurant’s menu is centered around an individually sized teppan, which means “iron plate.” Each dish at Pepper Lunch is composed of uncooked ingredients — like meats, veggies and seafood — that are served on a teppan that’s heated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Billed as a “DIY teppanyaki,” which means “grilled on an iron plate,” the process to ready your meal involves stirring the ingredients so they cook evenly on the plate, and then adding your choice of sauce. After that, it’s time to enjoy your custom-made dish.
Pepper Lunch is probably best known, the release said, for its Beef Pepper Rice, made with tender beef, rice, pepper spread, cracked pepper, corn and green onions. For the restaurant’s grand opening, the first 50 guests in line on March 6, 7 and 8 will receive a free Beef Pepper Rice. Anyone who dines in the restaurant on those days will receive a bounce-back offer for a BOGO Beef Pepper Rice that they can use during their next visit, the release said.
The menu also includes teriyaki dishes, steak, curry, pasta and vegetarian options.
The Riverton location of Pepper Lunch is one of 15 locations that Pepper Lunch will open in 2025, the release said.
Also coming soon to Mountain View Village is North Italia — known for its pasta, pizza and craft cocktails — opening March 26, according to a news release.
