The owner of Boongs Café–an East Village milk tea and egg waffle joint–is gearing up for a northward expansion, with a new eatery focused on Korean fried chicken in the works.
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Boongs Korean Fried Chicken will be opening at 1075 First Avenue (between East 58th and 59th streets) during the “first or second week of March,” Mario, the owner of the restaurant, told East Side Feed on Tuesday.
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“We chose this location because after doing some research there aren’t Korean fried chicken places nearby. And the neighborhood is lovely,” Mario added, adding that the proximity to places like TJ Maxx and Trader Joe’s also means a greater likelihood of foot traffic.
The original Boongs Café, located at 327 East 12th Street, is a recent New York addition itself: It just opened its doors during the first half of January.
Mario said the new Boongs will feature cool Korean gadgets and other nice touches such as a ramyun machine (a Korean ramen cooker) and Snow beer (a Chinese lager popular in Korea).
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“It will be a cool experience for the customers,” Mario added.
Though the original Boongs—a name which came from Mario’s wife when she explained how he made her heart feel—focuses more on café items, the new incarnation will focus on Korean fried chicken.
The timing is excellent, given that the neighborhood has recently lost two very popular Korean fried chicken restaurants (ChickQueen and CM Chicken).
Mario also told East Side Feed that if business keeps up its current pace, a third location—specialty TBD—will be opening this summer.
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Hope bird flu doesn’t get in the way. It seems to have boosted prices (again) at the halal trucks.