The restaurant in the Czech pavilion at Expo 2025 has an ambitious goal: to become the largest Czech restaurant in the world. At full capacity, the operators plan to serve up to 2,000 meals and 5,000 beers each day. Dumplings, paired with freshly tapped Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj), will take centre stage in the culinary offering. The Expo 2025 World Exhibition will run from 13 April to 13 October 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
“After months of preparations, we are now entering the next phase of our project. We have finalised the public tender for the operator of the restaurant and gift shop. GASTRO INVEST INTERNATIONAL emerged as the winner. The company brings extensive experience from international projects, having operated businesses in Shanghai, Australia, Dubai, and Hungary. Its sister company also managed the restaurant in the Czech pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, where it won the award for the most coveted sky bar at the world expo,” explains Ondřej Soška, Commissioner General for Czech participation in Expo 2025.
“The top chefs from the Association of Chefs and Confectioners of the Czech Republic, including both young talents and experienced masters, will be involved in operating the Czech pavilion’s kitchen. A special highlight of this project is the participation of the so-called ‘old guard’—chefs whose traditions and recipes date back to the menu of the Czechoslovak pavilion at Expo 1970 in Osaka. Chefs Tomáš Popp, Jiří Eichner, Mirek Prosa, and junior chef Štěpán Čermák are combining tradition with innovation,” says Petr Brož, Managing Director of GASTRO INVEST INTERNATIONAL.
Visitors to the Czech pavilion will enjoy dishes inspired by traditional Czech cuisine. At full capacity, the operators aim to serve up to 2,000 meals and 3,000 beers daily. The menu, curated by Tomáš Reger, has been carefully crafted to showcase the variety and quality of Czech cuisine, with dumplings as the star. Starters include homemade tlačenka with onions and vinegar or trout zavináč (rolls).
Main courses feature potato dumplings filled with smoked meat and red cabbage, alongside unique combinations such as Czech roast duck with powidl or pork served with Asian bao buns. Desserts like buchteln filled with powidl jam or curd cheese complete the menu.
The Japanese organisers estimate 150,000 to 300,000 visitors per day at the World Expo. For the Czech pavilion, the daily number of visitors is projected to be 12,000 to 15,000. Given the kitchen’s capacity and the pavilion’s size, meal preparation must be highly efficient. Meals will be made from fresh ingredients on-site in Osaka and finished in the pavilion to cater to the diverse tastes of international visitors.
The Czech pavilion will also serve wines from the 2023 Winery of the Year, Thaya Winery, and Pilsner Urquell. Pilsner Urquell is the main partner of the Czech pavilion.
“We always aim to showcase the best our country has to offer at the Expo. We are therefore delighted that Pilsner Urquell will be featured. This beer, which has inspired the world and established the most widespread beer category—Pilsner—is a testament to the creative spirit and talent of many skilled people. This is exactly what we want to highlight at the Czech National Pavilion in Osaka. The partnership underscores the significance of Czech brewing and its global relevance,” says Zdeněk Kovář, spokesman and head of external communications at Plzeňský Prazdroj.
Expo 2025 Osaka | Tschechien
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