The latest restaurant to open in Tysons West aspires to serve up quality Korean barbecue with Chipotle-style convenience.
In a family of self-described foodies, CupsPops manager Brandon Seo and owner David Seo, his father, developed the concept as an answer to the question of what to eat when you crave Korean-style chicken or marinated beef but don’t have the time for the usual tabletop grill set-up.
“We wanted a quick-bite Korean barbecue, and we were thinking about how we could make that happen,” Brandon told FFXnow. “Rice bowls was the perfect solution for that.”
After about a year of construction, CupsPops made its debut at 1501-E Cornerside Blvd in Tysons on Aug. 19, filling a previously vacant, 1,467-square-foot space next to Jersey Mike’s.
Though the Seo family lives in Sterling, they were drawn to Tysons for its ethnic diversity, according to Brandon. The area has a couple of Korean dining options, like nearby bb.q Chicken and Ingle Korean Steakhouse further east on Leesburg Pike in Pike 7 Plaza, but it’s not as saturated as markets like Annandale or Chantilly.
“We wanted to spread the Korean culture to as many ethnicities as possible,” the manager said.
The response to CupsPops since its opening has been gratifying, Brandon says, noting that it has gotten 16 ratings on Google — all of them five stars. However, the team has made tweaks to the food and pricing based on customer comments.
The relatively straightforward menu offers seven different entrees: spicy chicken, sweet spicy fried chicken, soy sauce or spicy pork bulgogi, beef bulgogi, beef galbi (short ribs) and fried tofu. Diners then choose either white or brown rice as a base before topping the bowl off with various add-ons and a sauce.
Beverages currently include water, soft drinks, ginger ale and yogurt drinks, but alcoholic options are coming soon, according to the website. A Virginia ABC license permitting beer, wine and mixed drinks was issued on Aug. 22.
In addition to customer service, one of the restaurant’s top priorities is cleanliness, Brandon says. That extends to the design of the bathrooms, which include lighted mirrors and “high-tech” hand dryers with HEPA air filters.
“Every time someone comes in, we’re going to make them feel welcome,” Brandon said. “We’re not going to let them go hungry, and we’re going to keep it clean.”
