Gusto Japan Guide for Tourists: How to Order, Drink Bar & Cat Robot Delivery

Quick Facts

What it is

Gusto, operated by Skylark Restaurants Co., Ltd. (a core brand of Skylark Holdings Co., Ltd.), is Japan's largest family restaurant (famiresu) chain with over 1,200 locations across all 47 prefectures. It offers an expansive menu spanning Western, Japanese, and Chinese comfort foods—headlined by its iconic cheese-stuffed hamburger steak (Cheese-IN Hamburg)—at accessible family prices. Guests order comfortably from their booths via multilingual touchscreen tablets, often having their food brought to them by cheerful cat-eared delivery robots. With power outlets, free Wi-Fi, and an unlimited self-service "Drink Bar," Gusto functions as a welcoming, low-stress hub for weary travelers throughout the day and late into the night.

How to order

Dining at Gusto is designed for complete convenience and relaxation:

1. Enter and get seated: Walk in the front door. At most branches, a staff member will greet you and show you to an open booth; some modern city branches feature an automated seating kiosk that prints a table number slip.
2. Switch the table tablet to English: Pick up the touchscreen tablet stationed at your booth or table. Tap the language button in the corner to switch the interface to English or Chinese.
3. Browse the menu and place your order: Browse the visual categories—including Hamburg steaks, pizzas, pasta, Japanese set meals, side dishes, desserts, and the Drink Bar. Select your options, customize sides, and submit your order directly through the screen.
4. Visit the Drink Bar (if ordered): If you added the Drink Bar to your order, take a glass or cup from the beverage station. Help yourself to unlimited fountain sodas, juices, iced teas, specialty hot tea leaves, and freshly ground espresso drinks.
5. Receive your meal from staff or the cat robot: Your meal will be brought to your table either by a friendly staff member or by Gusto's famous BellaBot cat delivery robot. When the robot arrives at your table, take your dishes from the glowing tray, then tap the "Finished / Complete" button on the robot's screen to send it back to the kitchen.
6. Settle your bill after eating: After finishing your meal (no tipping is required in Japan), take your printed bill slip to the front cashier counter to pay at the staffed or self-checkout register, or use the tablet's tabletop cashless checkout function if supported at your table.

What to order first

All menu items below are verified on the Gusto Official Website:

• Cheese-IN Hamburg Steak: Gusto's flagship dish—a juicy, savory Salisbury-style beef hamburger steak filled with a proprietary blend of melted cheeses that oozes out when sliced; priced around ¥650–¥850 tax-included (as of September 14, 2026; subject to price adjustments).
• Unlimited Drink Bar: An all-you-can-drink beverage bar featuring coffee machines, herbal tea leaf carousels, and soft drink dispensers; priced around ¥200–¥300 when ordered as a meal set, or around ¥400 standalone (as of September 14, 2026).
• Mayonnaise & Corn Pizza: A Japanese family restaurant favorite featuring sweet corn kernels, melted cheese, and savory Japanese mayonnaise on a crispy crust; priced around the ¥500–¥650 range tax-included (as of September 14, 2026).
• *Daily Value Lunch (Higawari Ranchi, Weekday Afternoons)*: Hearty weekday lunch specials featuring meat cutlets, rice, and soup refills; priced around the ¥700s range tax-included (as of September 14, 2026).
• Japanese Teishoku & Chicken Nanban: Deep-fried chicken with tangy sweet vinegar sauce and tartar sauce, served with rice, miso soup, and pickles.

Payment & practical info

Facilities, operating hours, and payment systems are traveler-friendly across the Skylark network:

• Accepted Payment Methods: Accepts cash, major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UnionPay), transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, etc.), electronic money (iD, QUICPay, Rakuten Edy), and QR code apps (PayPay, Rakuten Pay, d-barai, au PAY, Merpay, Alipay, WeChat Pay).
• Late-Night Surcharge (after 22:00): A 10% late-night surcharge is added to all food and beverage orders placed after 22:00 (10:00 PM).
• Tax-Free Status: Not eligible for tax-free shopping. Dining services consumed in Japan are not subject to tourist tax exemption.
• Wi-Fi & Power Outlets: Gusto provides free Skylark group Wi-Fi. Furthermore, the vast majority of booth seating is equipped with AC electrical outlets and USB charging ports for customer use.

Good to know / Common mistakes

• Using the Drink Bar without ordering it: The Drink Bar is not complimentary. You must explicitly select and order the Drink Bar (either standalone or as a discount meal set) on your tablet before taking beverages.
• Panicking when the cat robot arrives: When BellaBot arrives at your booth, it will stop and play cheerful music. Simply remove the dishes from the shelf indicated by the blue light and tap the touch screen to dismiss it.
• Late-night 10% surcharge: Bills after 22:00 include an automatic 10% late-night fee.
• Forgetting you can charge your phone: Look beneath your booth table or along the wall—almost all Gusto booths have power sockets, making it a great spot to recharge devices while enjoying unlimited drinks.

Sources

• Gusto Official Website: https://www.skylark.co.jp/gusto/ (Verified: 2026-09-14)
• Gusto Official Store Locator: https://store-info.skylark.co.jp/skylark/ (Verified: 2026-09-14)