Burger One Co., Ltd.
Japanese fast-food company that operated the LOTTERIA burger chain for over 50 years and now runs the ZETTERIA chain under the name Burger One Co., Ltd.
Last updated September 26, 2026
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Overview
Burger One Co., Ltd. (株式会社バーガー・ワン) is a Japanese fast-food company headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. It was established on 9 February 1972 as the operating company of LOTTERIA (ロッテリア), the hamburger chain founded by the Lotte Group. For roughly half a century LOTTERIA was one of Japan's best-known home-grown burger brands, distinguished by Japan-oriented menu development rather than a straight copy of American chain formulas. Its signature items included the Ebi Burger (shrimp burger), first launched in 1977, and the premium Zeppin Cheese Burger series introduced from 2007. In 2023 Lotte sold all shares of the Japanese LOTTERIA business to Zensho Holdings, and the chain became part of the Zensho Group. From September 2023 the company began rolling out a new brand, ZETTERIA (ゼッテリア), a name combining "zeppin" (exquisite) burger and "cafeteria." The conversion accelerated, and by 2026 all domestic LOTTERIA stores had been closed or rebranded as ZETTERIA; the LOTTERIA brand continues to exist overseas under the Lotte Group. On 16 February 2026 the company changed its trade name from LOTTERIA Co., Ltd. to Burger One Co., Ltd. As of 2026 the company operates roughly 280 ZETTERIA outlets, making it Japan's fourth-largest burger chain after McDonald's, MOS Burger and Burger King. Its representative director is Takushi Inoue. The company's stated philosophy emphasizes adapting fast food to Japanese tastes and lifestyles, and upholding Quality, Cleanliness, Service and Time as basic principles.
History
LOTTERIA was founded in 1972 as the fast-food business of the Lotte Group. It was initially conceived as an ice-cream shop to promote Lotte's ice cream, and a pilot shop opened in July 1972 inside the Lotte Urawa factory in Saitama Prefecture. On 29 September 1972 the first stores opened at Takashimaya Nihombashi in Tokyo and Matsuzakaya Ueno. The operating company, LOTTERIA Co., Ltd., was established on 9 February 1972. In its early years the menu was broadly similar to competitors such as McDonald's, but from the late 1970s LOTTERIA differentiated itself. The Ebi Hamburger (later Ebi Burger), a shrimp croquette patty in a bun, was developed in 1977 and became a signature product; competitors later launched similar items. The chain grew rapidly, reaching 100 stores in 1977, 200 in 1979, 300 in 1981 and 400 in 1984. It expanded overseas, opening its first store in South Korea in 1979, Taiwan in 1986, China in 1994 and Vietnam in 1998. In 1988 it introduced a new visual identity, changing its theme color from orange to red and adopting the 'double L' logo. From the 1990s the company struggled with inconsistent strategy, a failed low-price approach and weak new products, and performance gradually deteriorated. In 2001 it took over stores from Burger King Japan, which had withdrawn from the market. In late 2005 it entered a capital alliance with the restructuring firm Revamp, founded by two former Uniqlo executives; Revamp took an estimated 33.4% stake. In 2006 Genichi Tamatsuka became chairman and CEO and Shingo Shinozaki became president. The company adopted the slogan 'Straight Burger LOTTERIA,' revamped its logo and uniforms, and shifted toward listening to customers. In 2006 it jointly established Burger King Japan with Revamp, opening its first store in 2007. Revamp exited management in April 2010, and Lotte Holdings' president Takayuki Tsukuda became president; the company posted a profit of 1.3 billion yen in fiscal 2010. In autumn 2007 LOTTERIA launched the premium Zeppin Cheese Burger, using natural cheese, a patty about twice the normal size, and buns containing sake lees. The series expanded with the Zeppin W Cheese Burger in 2008 and the Zeppin Bacon Cheese Burger later that year. In 2009 the 'Zeppin Hamburger' was promoted with a money-back guarantee campaign. The chain also introduced 'Sanda marugoto potato' using Hokkaido potatoes in 2008. On 16 February 2023 Lotte announced the sale of all LOTTERIA shares to Zensho Holdings, effective 1 April 2023, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. The sale covered only the Japanese business; overseas operations led by Lotte GRS in South Korea remained with the Lotte Group. On 20 September 2023 the first ZETTERIA store opened as a new format, its name combining 'Zeppin Burger' and 'cafeteria.' The conversion of LOTTERIA stores to ZETTERIA accelerated, and by December 2025 ZETTERIA had 172 stores while LOTTERIA had fallen to 106. In January 2026 it was reported that all domestic LOTTERIA stores would close by around March 2026 and convert to ZETTERIA. On 16 February 2026 the company changed its trade name to Burger One Co., Ltd. On 31 March 2026 the last domestic LOTTERIA store, Senri-Chuo in Toyonaka, Osaka, closed and converted to ZETTERIA, ending the brand's 54-year history in Japan. ZETTERIA then had about 280 stores, making it Japan's fourth-largest burger chain.
LOTTERIA Co., Ltd. established
Pilot shop opens at Lotte Urawa factory
First stores open in Nihombashi and Ueno, Tokyo
Ebi Hamburger launched
100th store reached
200th store reached
First South Korea store opens
300th store reached
Chicken Burger launched
400th store reached; Okinawa expansion begins
Products and positioning
Japan-oriented fast-food burger chain; historically a premium-value challenger to McDonald's in Japan, now repositioned under the ZETTERIA brand as a casual burger-and-cafeteria concept within the Zensho Group.
Ebi Burger (shrimp burger)
A shrimp croquette patty in a bun, developed in 1977 and a signature LOTTERIA item.
Zeppin Cheese Burger
Premium burger launched in 2007 with natural cheese, a patty about twice normal size, and sake-lees buns.
Rib Sandwich
Launched in 1984 as a differentiated menu item.
Sanda marugoto potato
Premium fries made from whole Hokkaido potatoes, launched in 2008.
Okonomiyaki Burger
Limited item sold at 28 Osaka stores in 2025 ahead of the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
Sources6 sources
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