BonChon Chicken Arrives in Ellicott City

BonChon Chicken opened in Ellicott City to very little fanfare.

“We secretly opened July 1,” owner Youngmin Kim, 27,  said Wednesday morning.  The Korean fried chicken restaurant at 3419 Plum Tree Drive is just serving dinner for now, he said, but is hoping to host a grand opening and roll out lunch service by early September.

The opening wasn’t a secret to everyone. Kim has had plenty of customers so far, including local blogger HowChow.

“The bottom line,” he writes “is that you need to try this chicken now.” 

In May, for the restaurant, a franchise with locations around the world. An appeal to the Howard County Board of License Commissioners, was also denied, he said.

“So we have to try to get it next May,” Kim said. He said he's not concerned. 

“What I’m thinking is, maybe this is for the best. If we had a liquor license with all those people -- oh god … It’s my first restaurant business. I’d probably lose my mind.”

As for customer reviews, Kim said, “They really like it,” he said, and first-timers say they’re surprised at how crispy it is.” People familiar with the cuisine – sweet or spicy, extremely crispy, small chicken wings and legs – have also told Kim that it’s better than the nearest alternative in Virginia.

“That’s because we use different chicken,” he said. “We get our chicken from corporate, we had a trainer from corporate come down to train us.”

BonChon Chicken is Kim’s first foray into restaurant ownership, though he also owns a frozen yogurt franchise in Ellicott City.

“I really like it,” he said. “It’s great.”

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