Jae Yim Shim, the owner of KPOP Korean BBQ and Bar in Woodstock’s South Pointe at Towne Lake shopping center (pictured above), this year will open four new eateries, including a second KPOP.
The first, called Seoul Food, will also be situated in South Pointe, and is expected to debut on February 1, Shim confirmed with What Now Atlanta over the phone.
The concept is a fast-casual, Korean-to-go restaurant, occupying a 1,950-square-foot space, including build-your-own Bibimbap, or pre-designed bowls like Heart & Seoul.
Other menu items will include Kimbap, Dumplings, Ramen, and more.
The educator and real estate professional-turned-restaurateur has at least three more eateries in the works for the first half of 2020.
THRILL Korean Steak and Bar is set to open at the Hammond Exchange in Sandy Springs by April 2020.
The all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant will feature tableside mini grills manned by THRILL’s servers, in a 5,800-square-foot space between Elite Dance Studios and Hammond Nails.
The menu consists of appetizers, numerous side dishes—or Banchan—and more than 23 marinated or non-marinated meat choices like beef brisket and pork belly.
Also in April or May 2020, construction is expected to wrap on a second location of KPOP Korean BBQ and Bar, this time in McDonough, and later this year, Buford Highway will land Shim’s Heart of Seoul KBBQ concept.
“We will open this restaurant by summer 2020 at the latest,” Shim said.
“We’re still in the beginning stages of permitting with DeKalb County.”
While the concept of Korean BBQ has been around for a very long time, Shim says its popularity is on the uptick.
“I’m not coming from the restaurant industry, but being born here and knowing both cultures, I know how to mesh them together, where in the end, each concept, in and of itself, is still true.”
