Hot Pepper Gourmet
A Japanese restaurant discovery and booking site with coupons and point rewards.
Hot Pepper Gourmet at a glance
Hot Pepper Gourmet is a food & delivery website and one of the most visited sites in Japan, currently ranked #123 in the country. It was founded in 1994 by Recruit and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Today Hot Pepper Gourmet is owned by Recruit Co., Ltd.. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 110 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through restaurant advertising, booking fees. Its closest rivals include tabelog.com, gurunavi.com, retty.me.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 103 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 107 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 110 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 117 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct62%
- Organic search22%
- Paid search9%
- Social5%
- Referral2%
Audience & demographics
- Men51%
- Women49%
- Age 18-2429%
- Age 25-3433%
- Age 35-4420%
The audience is concentrated in Japan, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- Japan86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 33 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- Japan
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| hot pepper gourmet | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| food delivery | Top 10 | High | — |
| grocery delivery | Top 10 | High | — |
| discount code | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the Japan web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 89% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading food & delivery apps in Japan
Company information
- Website
- hotpepper.jp
- Sector
- Food & Delivery
- Owner
- Recruit Co., Ltd.
- Owner type
- Subsidiary of public company
- Founders
- Recruit
- Founded
- 1994
- Headquarters
- Tokyo, Japan
- Employees
- 1,000+
- Ownership
- Recruit Co., Ltd. controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $1 billion annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, paid search
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $1 billion annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Subsidiary of public company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Hot Pepper Gourmet operates a food and grocery delivery platform focused on Japan. A Japanese restaurant discovery and booking site with coupons and point rewards. Revenue comes mainly from restaurant advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Restaurant advertising
- Booking fees
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- Japan
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (Japan)
- #123 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading food & delivery site in Japan
- Global rank
- 900
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| tabelog.com | ≈ 66 million / month | #124 class competitor | — |
| gurunavi.com | ≈ 49.5 million / month | #125 class competitor | — |
| retty.me | ≈ 33 million / month | #126 class competitor | — |
What is Hot Pepper Gourmet?
Hot Pepper Gourmet (hotpepper.jp) is a food and grocery delivery platform serving users in Japan. A Japanese restaurant discovery and booking site with coupons and point rewards. It ranks #123 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the food & delivery category.
Who owns Hot Pepper Gourmet?
The site is operated by Recruit Co., Ltd., founded by Recruit. The company was established in 1994 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It employs around 1,000+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Hot Pepper Gourmet at roughly 110 million visits per month, about 3.7 million per day. Around 89% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 6.1 pages per visit with an average session of 5 min.
How Hot Pepper Gourmet makes money
Revenue comes primarily from restaurant advertising, alongside booking fees.
Competitors in Japan
Its closest rivals include tabelog.com, gurunavi.com, retty.me.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 1994
Hot Pepper Gourmet is founded in Tokyo, Japan.
- Growth phase
Expands its food & delivery offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #123 among the most visited websites in Japan.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Wide restaurant and store coverage in cities
- Fast delivery windows
- Frequent discounts and loyalty programmes
- Live order tracking
Cons
- Delivery and service fees add up
- Restaurant prices higher than in store
- Courier working conditions criticised
- Coverage thin outside major cities
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Hot Pepper Gourmet?
Hot Pepper Gourmet is operated by Recruit Co., Ltd.. Subsidiary of public company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Hot Pepper Gourmet headquartered?
Hot Pepper Gourmet is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
When was Hot Pepper Gourmet founded?
Hot Pepper Gourmet was founded in 1994 by Recruit.
How many employees does Hot Pepper Gourmet have?
Hot Pepper Gourmet employs approximately 1,000+ people.
What is Hot Pepper Gourmet's revenue?
Hot Pepper Gourmet's revenue: ≈ $1 billion annual revenue (est.).
Who are Hot Pepper Gourmet's competitors?
Main competitors in Japan include tabelog.com, gurunavi.com, retty.me.
How does Hot Pepper Gourmet make money?
Mainly restaurant advertising, booking fees.
Is Hot Pepper Gourmet publicly traded?
Hot Pepper Gourmet's ownership: Subsidiary of public company.
How many visitors does Hot Pepper Gourmet get?
Third-party estimates place Hot Pepper Gourmet at roughly 110 million visits per month, mostly from Japan, with 89% mobile traffic.
Is Hot Pepper Gourmet safe?
Hot Pepper Gourmet is an established food & delivery site founded in 1994 and ranked #123 in Japan; use the official domain hotpepper.jp and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementshotpepper.jp
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageJapan and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos