Pepper Lunch hired Mark Bailey as Chief Operating Officer to make it a national fixture.
Teppanyaki franchise Pepper Lunch is building its United States team with the hiring of Chief Operating Officer Mark Bailey with the goal of making the brand a national sensation.
Starting out young, Bailey saw several big-name restaurants begin their expansion across the country and wanted in.
“Being in the restaurant business from an early age, it kinda gets you,” said Bailey. “All of a sudden the hospitality business is extremely attractive because as a host or bartender you can make a decent living.”
Not to be confused with hibachi, teppanyaki is a meal cooked by customers over a flat top. Originating in Tokyo in 1994, the brand arrived in the U.S. in 2018. The sizzling cast iron dishes are the signature of Pepper Lunch, which keeps the food warm throughout the meal.
Mark Bailey.
Gaining experience at Pokeworks, Gatti’s Pizza, Subway and other brands, Bailey found the most enjoyment in emerging concepts and created his consultation business, Mark Bailey & Associates Consulting.
“We basically built the infrastructure for emerging franchise chains,” said Bailey. “What ended up happening in some cases, we ended up taking over part of the operations as part of our consulting gig.”
Pepper Lunch was one of those clients as it prepared for U.S. expansion. The brand had less than 10 locations in the country open when it started with Bailey’s company early last year, though Pepper Lunch’s international presence surpasses 500.
What drew Bailey in was the strong culture Pepper Lunch’s corporate team built. When Bailey first met with executives, it was clear to him Pepper Lunch focused on franchisee success, he said. A few U.S. locations have been operating for several years, proving that Pepper Lunch could succeed in the country, he said.
So far, Pepper Lunch has opened along the southwestern coast with six locations. Bailey plans to bring the brand nationally as soon as possible and that requires a strong corporate structure and a clear path to franchisee success, he said.
“We support them every step of the way,” said Bailey. “Our onboarding program is very detailed and on point to guide the franchisee from the very beginning.”
Customers at Pepper Lunch receive their meals on cast iron skillets, sizzling and steaming.
The initial investment for a Pepper Lunch location is $690,200 to $1,471,500. The brand garnered $265 million in global sales in 2022.
As an emerging brand, location is a key driver. The first step in onboarding is finding the ideal market for a Pepper Lunch restaurant. Eastern cuisine is popular in the U.S., which helps, Bailey said, but finding the right spot to ensure success requires market analytics. Research finds the best possible spot based on community interest and access.
This process is seeing results already. A multi-unit deal was signed for Hawaii, Arizona and Florida, and interest from other states including New York and Washington is continuing to flow into the pipeline.
“We’re extremely excited about this brand because it’s a very unique offering that is experiential,” said Bailey. “The model works. We truly understand that our franchisees’ success is ours.”