Risk factor
Poor trading liquidity
Profitability factor
Greatly overvalued vs peers
About
Pepper Food Service Co., Ltd. operates a chain of dining establishments both within Japan and across international markets. Its business operations are structured around several core divisions: Pepper Lunch, Ikinari! Steak, other diverse restaurant concepts, and proprietary brand products. The company directly manages and licenses restaurant outlets primarily under its prominent Pepper Lunch and Ikinari! Steak banners. Additionally, it develops and franchises various other specialized eateries, including Chargrilled Steak Kuni, which offers customized steak selections; Kodawari Tonkatsu Katsukitei, focusing on premium pork cutlets; and Gyutan Natori, known for its beef tongue dishes. Beyond its restaurant ventures, the firm also markets a range of unique food products. These specialty items, such as tonkatsu sauce, frozen pepper rice, various dressings, and steak sauce, are available for purchase at its restaurants and through wholesale channels. An online platform further extends its product reach, featuring offerings like frozen Hamburg steak, frozen pepper rice, frozen beef tongue, the Ikinari! Steak meal kit, assorted dressings, steak sauces, and transparent masks designed for culinary personnel. As of March 31, 2019, the company's extensive network included 478 Pepper Lunch locations (56 company-owned and 422 franchised), 439 Ikinari! Steak outlets (283 company-owned and 156 franchised), and 15 additional restaurant concepts. Furthermore, it collaborated with 41 external operators. Founded in 1970, Pepper Food Service Co., Ltd. maintains its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.
Company Valuation
Based on key historical and expected multiples, the stock is greatly overvalued relative to its peers. In particular, the stock is 'expensive' on EV/EBITDA.