Restaurant industry veteran Troy Hooper shares his 33-year journey from Miami chef to international CEO of Pepper Lunch, the Japanese DIY teppanyaki concept taking North America by storm. In this in-depth conversation, Hooper reveals how the 548-location global brand maintains authenticity while scaling across 17 countries, and why their North American stores see $300,000 annual revenue increases without adding new locations.
The discussion covers Hooper’s transition from hospitality consultant to franchisor, working with private equity-backed restaurant brands, and his controversial take on customer loyalty programs. Learn why he believes “points for dollars isn’t loyalty” and how Pepper Lunch uses technology to enhance human connection rather than replace it.
Key topics include:
- Restaurant franchise development strategies for emerging brands
- Japanese teppanyaki authenticity vs. Americanized dining concepts
- AI in restaurant operations and the launch of Franchise Systems AI
- Customer data analytics through kiosk technology and WiFi integration
- Hospitality-first technology implementation in fast-casual dining
- Multi-unit franchise consulting for private equity restaurant investments
- Restaurant turnaround management for hotels, resorts, and dining concepts
- Social media marketing for franchisors and industry thought leadership
Hooper explains how Pepper Lunch’s unique 500-degree hot plate dining experience differentiates from competitors like Benihana, and shares data-driven insights from tracking 5,519 customer interactions at a single location. Discover why adding a human hospitality host increased average tickets by $5.68 and how the brand plans to double locations annually while maintaining operational excellence.
Perfect for restaurant owners, franchisees, hospitality technology professionals, and anyone interested in scaling authentic dining concepts in competitive markets. Features practical advice on franchise partner selection, technology vendor evaluation, and building lasting customer relationships through personalized service at scale.R technology, predictive analytics, restaurant operations, hospitality technology
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