Business Spotlight: Grand Seoul
Welcome to Chinatown spoke with Debbie Park, whose parents opened Korean restaurant Grand Seoul on Chrystie Street in September 2018 after over 10 years in the deli business. Grand Seoul serves Korean fare that’s like “a taste of a Korean mom’s kitchen in the heart of Chinatown.” Through Welcome to Chinatown’s “Help Chinatown Help Our Heroes” fundraiser, Grand Seoul has delivered over 300 meals to frontline workers through Welcome to Chinatown.
Your parents owned and operated 3 successful delis in Manhattan. What inspired them to open a restaurant?
Growing up, my family always hosted a lot of people at our house, whether it’s church people or family gatherings, my mom has always loved hosting. One of our current restaurant suppliers has a big store in Chinatown, and our families became close over the years. Everytime she would come over for dinner, she would say, “You should just open a Korean BBQ restaurant!” It started out as just something she would say, but eventually it turned into a partnership.
Why Korean BBQ, instead of another type of cuisine?
It’s always been my dad’s dream. My dad loves eating meat, and he had always wanted to open a steakhouse. In a way, his dream came true!
What was the thought behind opening a Korean restaurant in Chinatown?
Everyone always has to trek to K-Town for Korean food. We wanted to give Chinatown easy access to our food.
When you first opened the restaurant in Chinatown, how was the restaurant received?
More locals came in the beginning, because it’s at the end of Chrystie Street, which is a bit hidden. It was slow until we started working with RVD, a marketing group. From then on, it started to do a lot better. We had people coming from Lower East Side, from Brooklyn, and all around. It was just more diverse and started to pick up a lot more.
The power of great marketing! What are some popular dishes?
Kimchi jjigae (spicy kimchi stew with pork and tofu), LA Galbi (Korean barbequed short ribs), and Galbi Tang (beef short rib soup with clear noodles)
What is your favorite dish at the restaurant?
Osam Bokkeum (stir-fried squid and pork belly). Our chef made it one day, and I felt strongly that we had to put it on the menu. We ended up putting it on our Grand Seoul Highlights menu/Seamless, and it’s been pretty popular!
Why did you decide to partner with Welcome to Chinatown?
Before we partnered with Welcome to Chinatown, I was actually thinking of a way for Grand Seoul to donate to hospitals. A lot of my friends who are nurses and doctors are working all the time, so I wanted to find a way to help out. Vic reached out, and it was perfect timing. My mom was 100% behind the idea, and we just wanted to give back no matter what it would cost for us.
Is there anything new you’re working on?
We’ve been working on brand collaborations with Makku (a fresh twist on a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage called makgeolli) and Spot Dessert Bar (known for their green tea lava cake). We want to continue to build strong partnerships with other brands and help each other out.
How can the community continue to support?
Donate to the GoFundMe, order from Seamless (Makku + Spot Dessert Bar available!), and write reviews on Yelp, Foursquare and Google.
