Pizza News

Pizza 'jukebox' with pizza made by robots to debut at Walmart in Frisco

Pizza made by robots: It's the future.

Pizza Jukebox

There's a new twist on pizza opening in Frisco: Pizza made by robots. Called the Pizza Jukebox, it's a new concept from Brix Holdings, which owns the Red Mango frozen yogurt chain, and it's opening inside the Walmart at 16066 TX-121.

This concept will feature an automated pizza-making robot, side-by-side with a Red Mango frozen yogurt stand. A release promises that customers can watch the Pizza Jukebox robot create pizza with "spectacle you'll have to see to believe."

The spectacle involves the sight of a robot making your pizza with a high-tech "pizza jukebox" that spins the pizza, assembles the toppings, and pops it in the oven, ba-da-bing ba-da-boom, one to three minutes later, pizza is ready to go.

Robot servers became a bit of a darling in the restaurant industry during the pandemic, inspiring wonder and delight, even if the actual service sometimes paled next to humans. Brix Holdings CEO Sherif Mityas says they're seizing some of that wonder and delight, but with better performance.

"We're seeing so much innovation with robots and Artificial Intelligence," Mityas says. "This is a robot that actually makes pizza with no human intervention."

They partnered with L2F, a California company who helped develop the technology, and have been testing it for the past few months.

"We're just having some fun," he says. "Everyone's used to having pizza delivered. But part of the fun of restaurants is going out. After the pandemic, people want a reason to come back out to restaurants, so we're trying this out with our friends at Walmart."

You can choose from a 16-inch pie or a 7-inch personal pizza. The crust is placed into a machine and spins - "like a record, that’s why it's called a jukebox," Mityas says. "It then puts whatever topping you've ordered, it slices the pepperoni, it's not pre-sliced."

The robot places the pizza in the oven, where it bakes almost instantly: 3-1/2 minutes for the 16-inch, and 1-1/2 mins for the 7-inch. "You can see your pizza made and listen to your song played on the jukebox while you wait," Mityas says.

Finally, a human steps in to place the pizza into a box, and ring up your order, and then you can get your Red Mango for dessert.

They're aiming to open in mid-June, when they'll share a full menu, and plan to follow with more locations in other Walmart stores.

“We’re so excited to launch such an innovative concept,” Mityas says. “You can’t just get this experience delivered, you must come to see and taste it to believe it. I think that was part of our motivation, to get people to come out to restaurants again."

Teppanyaki News

Japanese restaurant chain with sizzling hot plates to debut in Frisco

Pepper Lunch

Pepper Lunch is coming to Frisco.

A distinctive Asian restaurant concept with sizzling hot plates is coming to the Dallas area: Called Pepper Lunch, it's an international chain from Japan that does a fast-casual version of teppanyaki, and it's opening in Frisco at 9180 Warren Pkwy. #150, in a busy shopping center anchored by 99 Ranch, in the former Gen Korean BBQ space.

Frisco will be the very first Pepper Lunch in Texas. According to co-owner Phil Guo, it'll open in mid-March.

Pepper Lunch was founded in Tokyo in 1994 by chef Kunio Ichinose and features teppanyaki, a Japanese cooking style where chefs cook on a hot griddle (teppan) in front of diners, creating an interactive and entertaining meal.

But Pepper Lunch takes it a step further with do-it-yourself teppanyaki, with meals served on 500-degree Fahrenheit hot plates, which are patented to stay hot for more than 20 minutes — allowing diners to cook their own food at the table.

All that sizzle has made Pepper Lunch an internet sensation. Cooking your own food at your table is a trend, and Pepper Lunch also has price and convenience on its side: Most of its menu items come in under $20 and can be complete in 20 minutes, making it a desirable option for workers and others with a limited lunch hour.

The signature dish is their Pepper Rice, which comes in about a dozen options, including the best-selling Beef Pepper Rice, featuring sliced beef, white rice, corn, and spring onion, with freshly-cracked black pepper, which is also a signature. ("We crack it fresh every morning," Guo says.)

Salmon terifyaki at Pepper Lunch Frisco.Pepper Lunch

Other varieties of Pepper Rice include Salmon Pepper Rice, Chicken Pepper Rice, Shrimp Pepper Rice, and Tofu & Veggie Pepper Rice.

You can get your meat, rice, and veggies in a teriyaki option or with curry sauce. They also have pastas with cream sauce and your choice of protein. Sides include American classics such as fries, onion rings, or sweet potato wedges, and they offer Kirin beer.

Dallas is part of Pepper Lunch's broader expansion across the U.S. They currently have more than 500 locations across 17 countries.

Guo is a veteran restaurateur who, along with partner Ken Cheng, operates three locations of Jinya Ramen Bar, a completely different kind of dining experience.

"Jinya is a full-service restaurant with a nice bar and intimate atmosphere, and the food is more complex," he says. "Pepper Lunch is fast-casual, more family-oriented, with a faster pace. If you need to, you can be in and out in 20 minutes. But there's heat nothing like it when they bring your plate to your table, and you get to cook rice or steak right in front of your face — it sizzles and pops."

He loves to recall the first time he encountered Pepper Lunch, decades ago, on a family trip to Hong Kong.

"We waited in line for two hours, and I will always remember sitting down and experiencing that sizzling smell," he says.

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