Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and Royal Holdings Partner with Ukai-Tei and the Osaka Sushi Business Life Hygiene Trade Association for "Lounge & Dining" at EXPO 2025
- Delivering special moments with master cooking techniques and quality hospitality -

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President & CEO: Calin Dragan; “Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan”) and Royal Holdings Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Masataka Abe; "Royal Holdings") will collaborate with Ukai-Tei and the Osaka Sushi Business Life Hygiene Trade Association for the joint opening in the Counter Specialty Store Area of Lounge & Dining at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan ("EXPO 2025"). Reservations for the Counter Specialty Store Area will open from March 13.

During the 1970 Osaka Expo, Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan served beverages throughout the venue, while Royal Holdings operated four restaurants in the USA zone, including Royal American Cafeteria and Western Steakhouse Royal. In combining Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan's expertise in beverage service with Royal Holdings’ strengths in central kitchen operations and restaurant management, we will come together to offer culinary experiences that satisfy customers at EXPO 2025.
Lounge & Dining will be located on the second floor of the Expo National Day Hall “Ray Garden,” a hub for international exchange. Designed around the concept of "dining with a refreshing breeze," the restaurant features a nine-meter-high open area with stunning views of Osaka Bay. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing dining experience in the spacious and comfortable ambiance.

The restaurant will cater to a variety of dining occasions and is divided into three distinct areas. The Dining Area offers a buffet featuring global cuisine made with carefully selected local ingredients from the Kansai region. The Counter Specialty Store Area will serve teppanyaki and sushi prepared in front of guests. The Reception Room offers private dining suitable for entertaining and hosting official guests from Japan and abroad.

At the Counter Specialty Store Area, we will partner with Ukai-Tei, renowned worldwide for its unique teppanyaki and immersive dining spaces, and the Osaka Sushi Business Life Hygiene Trade Association, which represents nearly 500 sushi restaurants in Osaka and a community of highly skilled sushi chefs dedicated to preserving traditional techniques. Together, we will offer a course meal the celebrates Japanese cuisine.
Guests will be greeted with quality hospitality that presents a close-up view of the refined cooking techniques of the masters. representing a culinary tradition to be preserved for future generations.

■Information on the start of reservations for Lounge & Dining Counter Specialty Store Area
Reservations for the Lounge & Dining Counter Specialty Store Area will open from Thursday, March 13.
This area will offer special moments infused with carefully selected seasonal ingredients grown in the rich climates throughout Japan and master craftsmanship.
Guests will enjoy a teppanyaki or sushi course meal prepared with seasonal delicacies in a sophisticated space.
Please direct any relevant inquiries to the following.
Inquiries: banpaku-lounge-dining@royal.co.jp

*Reservations are required for the Counter Area.
For reservations: https://lounge-dining-expo.jp/banpaku/

■The three areas of Lounge & Dining
[Dining Area]
The Dining Area offers a buffet featuring global cuisine using carefully selected ingredients locally produced for local consumption in the Kansai region. It will satisfy diverse tastes with a range of dishes for guests including halal, vegan, and vegetarian customers.

[Counter Specialty Store Area]
Ukai-Tei Osaka
Meals will be served by Ukai-Tei, creating an extraordinary experience with unique, first-class teppanyaki of Japan.
Traditional dishes loved by Ukai-Tei goers for years will be sprinkled and served in the course meal. The teppanyaki uses Japanese black beef carefully selected by the master chef and showcases the chef’s skills, offering an immersed experience enjoyed through all five senses including smell and sound.

≪Teppanyaki Ukai-Tei≫

A teppanyaki restaurant of Ukai Group, operating restaurants and confectionery shops mainly in Tokyo and Kanagawa. Since its first Hachioji opening in 1974, there are now 7 restaurants in Japan and abroad. (As of February 2025.) Serving a variety of seasonal ingredients carefully selected from around the world. Ukai-tei unveils the originality and true potential of the ingredients with various cooking techniques like grilling, steaming, and simmering. Enjoy the world of Ukai-tei's quest for delicacies unfolding on the griddle.

Ukai-Tei official website: https://www.ukai.co.jp/english/

Sushi Harenohi
Sushi chefs of the Osaka Sushi Business Life Hygiene Trade Association serve Japanese sushi culture to domestic and foreign guests.

Osaka Sushi Business Life Hygiene Trade Association official website: https://www.osaka-sushi.net/

[Reception Room]
This space is available for private use, ideal for entertaining and dining with official guests from overseas. It has seven private rooms adorned with plants traditionally appreciated in the Kansai and Kinki regions. Guests can enjoy a luxurious course meal and alcoholic beverages prepared with carefully selected high-quality ingredients. Perfect for a special experience delivered with attentive service.

■Restaurant overview
Name: Lounge & Dining
Address: Yumeshimanaka 1-chome, Konohana-ku, Osaka 554-8089
EXPO 2025 E14-N201 National Day Hall "Ray Garden” 2F Lounge & Dining
Number of seats: 260
Area: 984.9㎡
Opening hours: 10:00-21:00

■Sustainability initiatives
Using game meat from Japan and unused fish, as well as some sustainable ingredients such as the soy meat NIKUVEGE, the menu has been developed embodying our thoughts for the future of food. Guests can enjoy delicious dishes that also cater to global environment and social issues.

To promote Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), we will employ OriHime, the Avatar robot developed and offered by Ory Laboratory, aiming to create a society in which people who have difficulties going out (with or without impairments) can demonstrate their uniqueness and capabilities. This will create an environment where customers can interact remotely from home.

Ory Laboratory official website: https://orylab.com/en/

We adopted the SAWANNA wet towel machine that does not leave plastic waste. Royal Holdings has been working to reduce plastic use, and the machine has been deployed in 19 restaurants directly run by Richmond Hotel since September 2024.

SAWANNA website: https://sawanna.jp/

Associated Release

Release from Nov. 26, 2024
Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and Royal Holdings to Open "Lounge & Dining" at Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025
https://en.ccbji.co.jp/news/detail.php?id=1620

*Please note that the information contained in news releases is current as of the date of release. Certain information may have changed since the date of release.