Fried Chicken News

Korean chain Bonchon expands to Dallas with more spicy fried chicken

Mmmm spicy wings.

Bonchon Chicken

An international fried chicken chain is relocating to Dallas: Bonchon, known for its distinctive Korean fried chicken, is relocating its headquarters from New York to Dallas, and will also open a second location in the Dallas area.

The new location is in Addison and according to a release, will open in February 2021. It'll be the chain's first company operated fast-casual restaurant in Dallas, with another 3-4 openings in Texas to follow including a delivery- and carryout-only location.

Their menu includes wings, drumettes, and boneless strips in a red sauce that's garlicky, sweet, and a little spicy. The chicken has an irresistibly chewy texture, which they achieve by double-frying it, then lathering on the sauce.

There are also sliders and Korean tacos which you can get with chicken or with bulgogi/marinated beef, plus fried rice, a sesame ginger salad, and a wrap. Sides include fries, onion rings, fried pickles, coleslaw, and a kimchi coleslaw.

Bonchon was founded in Busan, South Korea, and opened its first U.S. branch in New York City in 2007. When it debuted in Dallas on Greenville Avenue in December 2013, it was so deluged by customers that the restaurant had to close for a week to regroup.

The food was solid but the company had management issues, and the Greenville Avenue location closed in 2014, leaving one location in The Colony, which is still open.

Veteran Dallas restaurateur Flynn Dekker, former marketing chef for Wingstop, was named CEO of Bonchon in 2019. There are currently 106 locations in the United States and 250 restaurants throughout Asia and the Middle East.

In addition to the new HQ in Dallas, Bonchon is launching a fast-casual model, new interior design, new service model, and streamlined menu. This new model will apply to some new franchise openings and new corporate restaurants. It'll also further Bonchon's online ordering operation, which currently accounts for more than 50 percent of business.

"The shift to a new fast casual model combined with our corporate relocation to Dallas, will create an even stronger foundation for Bonchon's continued national growth along with our accelerated growth across Texas," says Dekker in a statement.

Dallas represents a more centralized location to serve franchise partners on both coasts, and also creates new job opportunities in Dallas. They expect to add about 20 new employees.

But on the food side, they'll be keeping it real, since the test kitchen where they test new products and create the chain's signature sauces is still in Busan.

openings

Bread News

Award-winning Dallas bakery scores storefront in Oak Cliff mixed use

Photo courtesy of Kuluntu

Kuluntu bread

One of Dallas' best bakeries is graduating to a new location: Kuluntu Bakery, which currently operates as a cottage bakery in Oak Cliff, is moving into its first storefront space at the East Dock, the innovative new mixed-use hub at 900 E. Clarendon Dr. near the Dallas Zoo and Halperin Park.

Founded in 2018, Kuluntu is the cottage food bakery that has been selling breads and pastries from an Oak Cliff home. Despite not having a brick-and-mortar location, the bakery has racked up numerous awards including an impressive ranking on a Food & Wine list of the Best Breads in Every State, a 2023 nomination for a James Beard Award, and a CultureMap Tastemaker Awards nomination for co-founder Stephanie Leichtle-Chalklen for Best Pastry Chef.

Now they will have a brick-and-mortar location.

Their current menu changes weekly, with breads such as country sour and lemon-lavender-walnut sour; their signature granola; cinnamon rolls; and pastries such as almond & lemon croissant, cheesy artichoke galette, and salted rye chocolate chip cookies. They send out an email to subscribers every week listing the latest offerings. (To get on the list, email kuluntu@kuluntubakery.org.)

"At the new location, we will be expanding the menu quite a bit," Leichtle-Chalken says. "It will include items that we’re currently baking, plus South African dishes for lunch service."

They're hoping to be open by the end of the year, and once they do open, they'll close down the cottage operation.

But Leichtle-Chalklen says this new location will be more than a bakery — it will be a community hub that centers on women’s experiences and builds collective power through education, health & wellness, and equity initiatives.

She already operates Kuluntu as a non-profit, with a goal of co-creating a more equitable food system and community by connecting the food industry, consumers, and partners to center women and humanize all food workers.

Sustainability is a practice that threads throughout their organization: whether that's using Barton Springs Mill organic flours and Cedar Ridge Egg Farm free-range eggs, or whether it's following zero-waste baking by recycling, composting, and using eco-friendly packaging.

East Dock Courtesy rendering

They'll fit right in at East Dock, a former industrial building that was built in 1915 and is being thoughtfully refurbished with a goal of creating an 18-hour campus: coffee in the morning, daytime operators such as offices, studios, and restaurants, then bars and entertainment at night.

On July 12, Kuluntu will host "Reimagining an Inclusive Restaurant in Dallas," where attendees can learn about the lived experiences of women food workers and how we can humanize the food system, as well as re-imagine what an equitable and inclusive restaurant could be — sharing your experiences, ideas, and perspectives to shape Kuluntu Bakery into a true community space for all. Pastries and beverages will be included.

The session will take place at East Dock, allowing a preview of the site which will be under active construction. While there is no fee, they're welcoming donations to their cause; get tickets here.

desserts openings