Pepper Lunch plans to turn the former Chi’Lantro space at North Loop Plaza into a Japanese hot-plate restaurant, giving a familiar Burnet Road storefront a new dining concept. The planned location is at 5222 Burnet Road, Suite 525, in central Austin.
The project has evidence beyond a construction filing: tenant representatives Joseph Kuperman and Dean Vandergriff of RETELL Advisors announced a signed lease for the former Chi’Lantro space. Their announcement identifies Bobby Shaw and Sizzling Hospitality on the restaurant side and Derek Quinn of Durhman & Bassett on the landlord side.
A New Use for an Existing Burnet Road Restaurant
A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing, registered November 2, describes an interior remodel and finish-out of 1,504 square feet into a Pepper Lunch restaurant. The estimated construction cost is $850,000. This is a conversion inside an existing shopping center, rather than construction of a freestanding restaurant.
The property’s leasing materials help place the small restaurant bay within North Loop Plaza. Page four of an earlier Durhman & Bassett leasing brochure shows a 1,504-square-foot space between Choo Sando and Banjoo, matching the area in the state filing. The brochure predates the Pepper Lunch lease and is not a final restaurant floor plan.
What Pepper Lunch Brings to the Table
Pepper Lunch’s defining feature is the heated iron plate: diners stir and finish ingredients at the table rather than receiving an ordinary plated entrée. The brand’s menu includes pepper rice, steaks, teriyaki and curry dishes, offering a different format for the former Chi’Lantro space.
The lease also fits a wider Texas expansion by Sizzling Hospitality. In its June 10 expansion announcement, Pepper Lunch identified Leander, Hutto, Kyle and Missouri City among the group’s signed sites. The Burnet Road transaction adds a specific central Austin address to that expansion story. TCM has also covered a separate Pepper Lunch project in Sugar Land.
Pepper Lunch Austin Construction Timeline
The filing estimates construction from February 5 through July 15, 2027; the schedule and cost remain preliminary, and an opening date has not been announced.
For Burnet Road diners, the project represents another change along one of Austin’s established restaurant corridors. With a lease signed and renovations planned for 2027, Pepper Lunch is moving toward bringing its signature sizzling hot plates to North Loop Plaza.