Seoul Food to open huge new restaurant, playground and karaoke bar this fall

Seoul Food Meat Co. new Optimist Park location. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Seoul Food Meat Co. will open its second location in Optimist Park this fall.

Owner Tim Chun tells me he’s aiming for an October opening.

Why it matters: With its splash zone, playground, dog park, multiple dining rooms and five karaoke rooms, the new Seoul aims to be a destination for parents, dog owners, coworkers and friends.

Seoul Food Meat Co.

The splash zone and stage area are outside. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Flashback: When Chun opened the first Seoul Food in South End in 2016, he had a very active dog. “I built it with a dog park so I could drink with my dog,” he said laughing.

  • At the time, places like Lucky Dog — bars where you can take your dogs — were just starting to spring up around town.
  • Now, Chun has kids and his mentality about his businesses hasn’t changed much. “I can still take my kids to the park and I can still drink,” he said about the new location.
Seoul Food Meat Co.

Seoul Food will also have. a playground for kids. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Seoul Food Meat Co.

Like its original location, there’ll also be a doh park. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

The menu: Seoul Food Meat Co., a Korean BBQ restaurant, will have a similar menu as the original and “a lot of beer,” Chun says. I counted 40 taps on the main ordering area.

  • Aside from the main ordering area, there’s a bar in the karaoke area and a food concession stand and bar outside.

The main difference between both Seoul Foods is how the food is ordered. Unlike the South End location, the new location will have no servers and it will have a cafeteria-style ordering process. “By the time you get to the end of the line, you’ll have your food,” Chun explains.

Seoul Food Meat Co.

The blue tape on the floor is where the railing will be for patrons to stand in line to order food. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Seoul Food Meat Co.

Karaoke booths can be reserved online ahead of time. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Seoul Food Meat Co.

Each karaoke booth is themed in a different color. They fit around 25 people comfortably. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Details: Located at 2315 North Davidson Street, the new Seoul Food stands at 15,000 square feet inside and an additional 12,000 square-feet outside. It’s massive.

  • It’s part of a renovated former mill, as reported by Axios’ Emma Way. Called Lintmans, the adaptive reuse project that includes a food hall was first announced in 2020.
  • And, as Emma pointed out, it straddles three different neighborhoods — Optimist Park, Villa Heights, and NoDa.
  • Parking is scarce compared to the size of the space, but the venue is connected to a trail that drops you off at the 25th street station of the light rail.
Seoul Food Meat Co.

This bigger karaoke room can be rented out as a separate event space. It’ll have its own bar and bar tender. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

What’s next: Chun says once it opens, he hopes to host events at Seoul Food every weekend. But not your typical trivia nights, “something unconventional,” he clarified — like a cookie baking competition.

Seoul Food Meat Co.

This hallway will lead to another dining room, the karaoke booths and two more bars. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

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