Fried Chicken News

Dallas-based Bonchon fried chicken debuts in Addison with lots of extras

Their chicken is unique in a crowded field.

Photo courtesy of Bonchon

Fried chicken is on in Addison with the opening of Bonchon, the international brand known for its Korean fried chicken, which opens a location at 4980 Belt Line Rd. #140 on February 25.

The restaurant is going into a former Smashburger and will be the second Bonchon in the area, joining a location in The Colony.

Bonchon was founded in South Korea in 2002, then came to the U.S. in 2006. Their chicken is notable for two reasons:

It's double-fried, giving the crust a satisfyingly chewy note
It has a unique red sauce that's garlicky, sweet, and a little spicy

The menu includes wings, drumettes, and boneless strips. There are also Korean tacos, which you can get with chicken or with bulgogi/marinated beef, plus fried rice, fries, coleslaw, and a kimchi coleslaw.

The Addison location will debut new menu items that include:

Mac & Kimcheese
Korean Street Corn
Fried Chicken Sandwich, with choice of spicy or soy garlic sauce

The Addison location also represents the debut of a new fast-casual restaurant model: It's a 2,200-square-foot space, located a short distance from Bonchon's new corporate headquarters, with a cutting-edge design, eye-popping colors, modern furniture, and street art inspired graphics.

"Bonchon Addison is unique among our 370+ global locations as it is the debut of an exciting new restaurant model designed for a fast-casual experience," says Bonchon CEO Flynn Dekker in a statement. "We believe this new design will enhance and streamline the guest interaction while offering our team an improved operating environment. Bonchon Addison will also double as our corporate test kitchen. Dallas area residents will have the unique experience to be able to try out new dishes and new signature sauces not found at any other Bonchon restaurant."

Dekker, a former marketing chef for Wingstop, was named CEO of Bonchon in 2019.

Bonchon Addison will offer online ordering and delivery through bonchon.com and the Bonchon USA app. Curbside pickup and dine-in also available. They can also be found on 3rd party delivery platforms like DoorDash, UberEats, and Favor.

They'll do a big grand opening event on March 15, and are hosting an online contest to win a year's supply of Bonchon Korean fried chicken. The winner will be announced on March 23.

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Assembly Icehouse in Plano adds swanky adults-only cocktail lounge

Photo courtesy of Assembly Icehouse

Espresso martini at Assembly Icehouse.

An east Plano restaurant and entertainment venue is expanding with a chic new lounge aimed exclusively at the 21-and-up crowd: Assembly Icehouse, the sports bar and family-friendly restaurant at Assembly Park, is adding a cocktail lounge, giving the mixed-use development its first adults-only destination.

According to a release, the 2,200-square-foot lounge will go in the former Tacoro Tacos & Tequila space, which has closed.

The lounge will offer a more upscale atmosphere than the adjoining icehouse, and will focus on premium cocktails, spirits, music, and socializing, the release says. Features will include a vinyl listening station with an extensive record collection, a pool table, and private spirit lockers where regulars and members can store personal bottles for future visits.

Yes, memberships will be available. So swank.

The lounge's name, opening date, membership details, and beverage program will be announced later, the owners say.

Assembly Icehouse, announced in fall 2024, opened in November 2025 as one of the anchor restaurant concepts at Assembly Park, the redevelopment of the former Plano Market Square Mall at 1717 E. Spring Creek Pkwy. Developed by Triten Real Estate Partners, the project has transformed the aging shopping center into a mixed-use destination with apartments, offices, restaurants, and a central park.

The 4,850-square-foot restaurant was developed by Dallas hospitality group Blender Brands and features elevated bar food, more than 30 TVs, live entertainment, and expansive indoor-outdoor spaces overlooking the property's lawn. The menu includes smashburgers, chicken and waffles, double-fried wings, and sandwiches such as the Tejas Philly.

Assembly Park in Plano. Rendering courtesy of Assembly Park

The adjoining lounge will mark the latest evolution for Assembly Park, which also includes Cliff Coffee and other food-and-drink concepts from Blender Brands. (The now-closed Tacoro had operated as a quick service, pick-up and go Mexican restaurant and taqueria.)

"Assembly Icehouse has been embraced by the community in a way that exceeded our expectations," says JR Muñoz in the release. "As we looked at what was next, we saw an opportunity to create something completely different within Assembly Park. This lounge will offer an elevated adults-only experience where guests can relax, enjoy great music, share exceptional spirits and feel like they're part of something special. It's designed to be a destination for connection and conversation."

Blender Brands, founded by Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurs Jacob Cox and Danny Wilson, also operates Select Start Arcade & Bar in Deep Ellum, Good Side Pizza Pub, and other hospitality concepts across North Texas.

Assembly Park's location, the former Plano Market Square Mall, was a 300,000-square-foot shopping mall that was built in the 1980s. Triten acquired it in 2021 with the goal to create a walkable mixed-use neighborhood featuring dining and retail, creative office, and urban-style living options with a connection to the outdoors, centered around a freshly planted park and event space. It includes the Annabel at Assembly Park, an apartment community with 304 units that opened in summer 2024.

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