Restaurants & Bars
Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken Franchise Opens In Skokie
It's the restaurant's fourth location in the Chicago suburbs, with three more in the pipeline.
SKOKIE, IL — The latest location of the international Korean comfort food franchise Bonchon is set to open next week in Skokie in a former auto parts store.
Known for its Korean-style fried chicken, Bonchon opened its first location two decades ago in Busan, South Korea, and expanded to the U.S. in 2006.
Zia Ghani owns and operates the new Skokie location, opening Monday at 5237 W. Touhy Ave. — formerly a Bumper to Bumper car parts shop.
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In a statement, Ghani said he was thrilled to be expanding in the North Shore.
“We can’t wait to welcome the Skokie community to our new location and spread the love of Korean fried chicken throughout it," Ghani said. "I look forward to continuing to watch this amazing brand’s growth throughout the state.”
Find out what's happening in Skokiefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Bonchon — Korean for "My Hometown" — currently has locations in Bolingbrook, Glenview, Schaumburg and Chicago's Chinatown and Wicker Park neighborhoods.
In addition to its double-fried chicken, other menu offerings at Bonchon include japchae, bulgogi, Korean tacos, kimchi and pot stickers.
Ghani, of Morton Grove, also owns the Glenview and Schaumburg locations. He does not expect the new location to siphon business from his existing one to the north, he told Pioneer Press last month.
Additional locations are expected to open in Aurora in October and Tinley Park later this year, according to company representatives. An operator has also signed a lease for a location in Melrose Park.
The brand now has more than 114 locations in the U.S., and more than 250 others across a more than a half-dozen countries. Last year, it relocated its global headquarters from New York City to Dallas, Texas.
The Skokie location, the first fast casual location in the Chicago area, will be open daily from 11 a.m., closing at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9:30 p.m. on other nights.
According to company representatives, the first 50 people in line on Monday morning will be provided with three free drumsticks as part of a grand opening event.
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