BonChon Chicken Opening…TBD

Owners of what might be Ellicott City's first BonChon Chicken announced in March that the Korean fried chicken restaurant would be opening in June.

Then in June, they said the new target was the first week of July.

The sign has been raised at the location on Plum Tree Drive, and people on Facebook are getting anxious about trying out the only BonChon Chicken in Maryland.

"I'm counting down the weeks/days 'til you open," wrote Becca Higgins Swick.

"I just canceled my trip to Korea this summer. Please tell me you're opening soon," wrote Lindsey Sullivan.

Even local blogger HowChow chimed in with the Catch-22 of mentioning a new food joint and dealing with the new food joint craving before it has opened.

"The first rule of Restaurants That Haven't Opened Yet is never mention Restaurants That Haven't Opened Yet," HowChow writes.

But still, no official word has been announced on the opening of the New York-based restaurant that specializes in double fried chicken. The owner of the restaurant could not be reached Wednesday for an estimate of the opening.

A spokesperson for BonChon Chicken in New York said the delay is common, as many of the franchise owners encounter delays with construction, permits and hiring of employees. Company headquarters does not have a specific date for the opening of the Ellicott City location.

In May, Patch reported that by the Howard County Liquor Board because two of the applicants, including owner Yongmin Kim, had multiple citations on their driving records. The board deemed the applicants not "fit and proper" for a license to sell alcoholic beverages.

The deadline to appeal this decision within the county passed, according to liquor board administrator Denise E. King, and the deadline to appeal to the circuit court is in a matter of days. King said she has not received notification of an appeal from the owners.

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