A new Korean eatery is preparing to open where a burger franchise failed in Midtown. Mukja Korean Fried Chicken has quietly renovated the former BurgerIM restaurant space at The Shops at Metropolis in Midtown, and from the looks of the space, may be prepared to open as soon as they are allowed to do so. Mukja, which translates to "let's eat" in Korean, will feature Korean Fried Chicken but will also offer several other specialty items like Mac & Cheese with kimchi and bacon as well as Korean-style waffles, among other options.
BurgerIM closed this past August having lasted less than a year in the "just off Peachtree Street" location behind Taco Mac, providing little in the way of visibility. Anywhere else the 2,700 square foot space might be highly appealing and productive, but its hidden location handicaps it from the get-go. That said, the fact that Mukja will be offering a specialty item, Korean Fried Chicken, that is not found many places in intown Atlanta, should help it appeal to and attract would-be diners who live in the area and might be more willing to navigate the deck parking in order to enjoy the food. (Takorea, a Korean-Mexican eatery located on nearby Juniper Street, closed at the end of 2019.)
Co-owners Peter Chung and Sean Chang first conceptualized the idea for the restaurant about five years ago when they were both in college. Following a terrible accident that put Sean permanently in a wheelchair, his dreams of working in the restaurant industry were derailed indefinitely. The stars aligned, however, and with determination, perseverance, a bit of luck, and his friend and business partner Peter, the dream of Mukja is alive and well.
Co-owner Peter tells ToNeTo Atlanta that he would like to open in the fall, but that date is tentative and is dependent on the COVID situation. "We still require licensing and permits in order to open, but those cannot be obtained until City Hall re-opens, which is indefinite at this point in time." There is a menu available. It is not complete or finalized. The restaurant's Facebook and Instagram handles are @MukjaATL and their website is www.mukjaatl.com. "These platforms are empty at the moment, but we plan to have content starting in late June/July," Peter said.
Sean tells us that he plans to offer food that is not only authentic, but also approachable for the public at large and is not intimidating to non-Korean diners or those without a Korean dining companion. The restaurant will also offer a variety of local and Korean beers.
Although similarly named restaurants and food trucks exist in America, Mukja Atlanta is an independent, albeit well-branded, restaurant. The business partners hope that after opening and hopefully receiving a positive reception from the community, that they will grow the brand to multiple locations.
Bonchon, another Korean Fried Chicken restaurant, has but a single location in Georgia in Fayette Pavilion, about 50 minutes south of Atlanta. The Korean-based franchise, with U.S. headquarters in New York, opened in Fayetteville in 2016 and has reportedly performed quite well with a cumulative four star rating on Yelp.com.
Are you excited at the prospect of having a Korean Fried Chicken eatery in Midtown? What kind of restaurant would you most like to see open in Midtown? If Mukja is expanded, where would you like to see it open next?
Please share your thoughts below.
8 comments:
I WISH Bonchon would expand. East Cobb is wide open for a delicious restaurant like Bonchon. Drive thur please.
Bonchon has a better menu. This looks plain with no imagination. I'll try it but I'm a Bonchon fan.
I think Midtown and downtown will be dead for a long time due to the great Trump Pandemic and Trump Great Depression. The Braves have left, Underground is empty. Ga Tech and Ga State students are gone, workers won't fill the downtown office buildings anytime soon due to the virus. It will take a long time for downtown and Midtown to recover. Thanks again to Trump for lying about the virus and calling it a hoax and the flu
Obviously you don't spend much time in midtown. I live here and see plenty of activity
I am a Korean and live in Midtown and used to live at the metropolis before. Burger IM was at that location and they lost business less than a year. I was expecting a lot from around 3months before they open, and when they opened, I tried it and never went back. So So So disappointed!!! I knew that they will not be there longer.
I tried TaKorea in Midtown before, as I said I am a Korean, and I am so expected to Korean food around here. I throw up TaKorea Food before, they are not Korean food for me. It's not even great fusion food also. It was just mixed food with very low quality. That's one of the reasons that I am not expected to "Mukja"
First of all the price is very disappointed. You can find a better price with better menus in Duluth which is like Korean town area.
I will try this new Koren Fried Chicken "Mukja" place when they open, but I am not expecting it. I will see... If it's good or not.
@June 7, 2020 at 3:26 PM
Stupid Hillary why don't you go see what billy is up to you know he's messing around on you again. The economy is going to bounce back. This restaurant Will Survive as long as they provide good food and service. I think I see Bill he's with aoc. What a hot mess
The best Korean Fried chicken here is BBQ Olive in Duluth, it tastes the same as the one in Korea. Best Fried chicken in the world.
Love the idea of retaining cultural Korean roots while also expanding to the wider American palette. Korean fried chicken is always bomb so I'm excited to see the twist Mukja will put on it, also looking forward to the other side dishes! Best of luck to Chung and Chang!
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