Sizzle That Sells: How Pepper Lunch Used Relish to Sell Out Restaurant Openings

Introduction

When Pepper Lunch prepared to launch its new locations in Pinellas Park near Tampa and Mountain View Village near Salt Lake City, the mission was clear. They didn’t just want a typical grand opening; they wanted to generate crave-worthy buzz that would drive traffic, app downloads, and ongoing excitement from day one.

Billboards and static ads wouldn’t capture the energy. Pepper Lunch needed a strategy that would transform its sizzling, DIY teppanyaki experience into viral, shareable moments that would pack the house.

The Opportunity

Pepper Lunch offers a unique, interactive fast-casual dining experience where meals are cooked tableside on 500-degree sizzling hot plates. Known globally for its “DIY Teppanyaki,” Pepper Lunch wanted to introduce this dynamic experience to new U.S. markets in a way that would resonate with local audiences and generate immediate demand.

By partnering with Relish, Pepper Lunch transformed its openings into high-energy digital events that turned curiosity into packed tables.

The Strategy

Relish recognized that Pepper Lunch’s sizzle, steam, and sensory dining experience made it perfect for creator-led storytelling that stops the scroll and inspires action.

The campaign focused on four key moves:

• Activate local creators: Relish identified food-focused creators in Tampa, Orlando, and Salt Lake City who excel at capturing vibrant, high-energy dining moments that align with Pepper Lunch’s audience.
• Create craveable content: Influencers captured the signature sizzle, the bold flavors, and the excitement of the DIY experience, using trending audio, up-close visuals, and first-bite reactions that felt immediate and immersive.
• Drive urgency and FOMO: Posts highlighted that this was a first-in-market experience, encouraging followers to be among the first to try Pepper Lunch and share their own experiences.
• Manage seamless execution: Relish handled outreach, scheduling, briefing, and content rollout, aligning the campaign with each store’s launch timeline to ensure buzz and traffic on opening weekend and beyond.

The goal was simple: Fill tables, generate lines, and create ongoing demand for Pepper Lunch’s interactive dining experience in new markets.

The Results

The Pepper Lunch campaign delivered exceptional, launch-driving results:

• 26 creator posts showcasing the sizzling plates, premium ingredients, and high-energy DIY teppanyaki experience
• 63,656 views across targeted local audiences in Tampa, Orlando, and Salt Lake City
• 3,027 engagements, including saves, shares, comments, and likes
• 4.76% engagement rate, outperforming typical restaurant launch benchmarks

The campaign filled tables during opening weekends, with creators reporting high follower interest and direct messages about visiting, as well as new customers posting their own Pepper Lunch experiences online, compounding organic buzz.

Pepper Lunch established itself as a must-visit new restaurant in each market, translating launch content into real-world traffic and continued momentum.

Why It Matters

Restaurant openings require more than a ribbon-cutting to succeed. They require hype, FOMO, and community buzz that translates into butts in seats and ongoing foot traffic.

With Relish, brands like Pepper Lunch transform grand openings into launch moments that sell out tables, drive app downloads, and establish a foothold in competitive markets.

By pairing creator-led storytelling with precise, strategic rollout, Relish helps restaurants turn first-time visitors into loyal customers while building long-term brand awareness in new cities.

Ready to turn your next opening into a sold-out launch?