Pepper Lunch, a Japanese fast-casual chain where diners finish cooking meals on 500-degree iron plates, is heading to Missouri City.

A permit filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shows the restaurant plans an $850,000 renovation at 10407 Highway 6, inside the Fort Bend Town Center development at Highway 6 and Fort Bend Parkway. The filing, registered Aug. 12, lists a construction start date of Oct. 1 and a completion date of Nov. 11.

The 1,563-square-foot space will get new equipment, lighting and furniture as part of the buildout, according to the permit. No opening date for customers has been announced.

Community Impact first reported the filing.

Who's behind it

Franchisee Sizzling Hospitality, led by Bobby Shaw, is developing the Missouri City location. Shaw has spent more than three decades in the restaurant industry with brands including McDonald's, Chipotle and Freebirds World Burrito, Franchise Times reported.

Sizzling Hospitality signed a 20-unit development agreement with Pepper Lunch on Sept. 30, 2025, according to a June 10 company press release. Missouri City is one of four locations secured so far, alongside sites in Leander, Hutto and Kyle near Austin. The broader plan calls for 20 restaurants across Austin, Houston and San Antonio over five years.

"In less than a year, they've assembled an impressive pipeline spanning both Austin and Houston, two of the fastest-growing and most dynamic restaurant markets in the country," Pepper Lunch CEO Troy Hooper said in the June press release.

What to expect

Founded in 1994 by Japanese chef Kunio Ichinose, Pepper Lunch uses electromagnetic cookers to heat iron plates to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Diners receive raw meat, vegetables or rice on the sizzling plate and mix, sauce and finish cooking the meal themselves. A typical visit takes about 25 minutes, according to the company.

The menu includes pepper rice, teriyaki, steak, seafood, curry and pasta dishes. The chain operates more than 570 locations across 17 countries.

Fort Bend Town Center already houses Cinemark, Olive Garden, Chick-fil-A and dozens of other retailers. The development's Phase II won the Houston Business Journal's 2025 Best New Retail Development award, according to property manager NewQuest Properties.

Construction is set to wrap up Nov. 11, but the restaurant has not announced when it will open to the public.